Committee questions more Trustees

CHICAGO- Admissions hearings continued Tuesday at Chicago's James R. Thompson Center, where University trustees Lawrence Eppley, Kenneth Schmidt and David Dorris testified in the ongoing investigation led by Governor Pat Quinn's commission.

The commission began the hearing by questioning trustee Eppley about his relationship with members of the Blagojevich administration, including his path to being chosen as the former chairman of the Board of Trustees.

"I took initiative to meet as many new people in the Blagojevich administration as I could because we just didn't know anyone," Eppley said. "We knew that they were faced with a budget deficit and thought that they might come asking for money or cuts to balance the budget."

The commission also focused on questioning Eppley's alleged involvement as a "go-between" from the former governor Blagojevich to University chancellor Richard Herman in promoting the admission of certain students into the University's law school in exchange for legal jobs.

"I don't think I pushed anything. I was merely referring a candidate," Eppley said. " I don't think I had any special powers of recommendation or persuasion."

University of Illinois Trustee Lawrence Eppley testifies before the state commission investigating whether politically connected applicants to the University of Illinois were given special treatment Tuesday, July 14, 2009, in Chicago.
The Associated Press

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Although chancellor Herman testified last Monday that he had communicated with Eppley about the possibility of jobs in the context of admissions, Eppley denied the existence of this conversation in today's hearing.

"I didn't not have a conversation with Richard about jobs," said Eppley. "I have never talked about jobs in relation to admissions."

Eppley continued that the inquiry process, described as "unwritten protocol," "wasn't viewed as untort, and believe it or not, consisted of very brief encounters. We were told to talk to Richard, and he could track it."

The commission continued the hearing by questioning trustee Kenneth Schmidt, who denied having any knowledge of the University's Category I list until the Chicago Tribune reported on it.

"I believe that if you're a trustee of a university, you have an obligation to the university and everything that has to do with it," Schmidt said. "I always said I would be happy to make an inquiry. But when I ask about a student, I know about that student's qualifications beforehand. I've never lifted one student over another."

Schmidt admitted to being a donor for many politicians, including former governors Ryan and Blagojevich. Eppley contended that he himself never made any monetary donations to the Blagojevich campaign, although he admits to being supported as the elected chairman by the Blagojevich administration.

"I don't agree that I violated the code of ethics," said Eppley. "Letters of recommendation are an open process. Through the inquiry process I don't think I've ever tried to influence an admissions decision. I was motivated not to be the filter of the inquiry."

When questioned by commission member Maribeth Vander Weele about the line between violating and not violating ethics, Eppley responded that he felt it was "advocacy and not advocacy."

"The difference is that I wasn't advocating a particular decision. I said I knew the applicant's family, but it wasn't my business to say yay or nay."

The commission questioned Eppley about the UI Board of Trustee's objectives for improving the admissions process.

"We're desperate for remedies to the process because we need them," Eppley said. "By the same token, we don't want to get out ahead of anything, and my thinking has been contextual."