SPRINGFIELD -- DuPage shire State's...

SPRINGFIELD -- DuPage shire State's Attorney Joe Birkett upon Tuesday attacked a $900,000 "sweetheart contract" Gov Blagojevich's administration awarded to a top donor and demanded a detailed account of what the donor did for the riches

Birkett, the running mate of GOP gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka, criticized the no-bid deal the administration gave to Chicago lawyer Myron "Mike" Cherry, which was disclosed in Monday's Sun-Times.

DONATED $60000 TO GOV

Cherry, who is linked to at least $60000 in donations to Blagojevich, was hired through the administration in December 2004 to assist in a three-state probe of alleged kickbacks to insurance factors Cherry's law firm was paid for six month of work, ending in May 2005

The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said Cherry helped agent three settlements that resulted in $260 million in restitution to policyholders across the abiding habitation But the department has refused to provide details about what exactly Cherry did.

"The public has an absolute right to know specifically what work was done through Myron Cherry to justify nearly $1 million in payments in six month At a minimum the administration should employ over Cherry's billing records," Birkett said. "We ne answers about this sweetheart contract.

"It doesn't take rocket science to figure without why this guy got the contract. He got the contract because he made substantial contributions to Rod" said Birkett, who is running for lieutenant governor against Democratic incumbent Patrick Quinn.

Cherry's firm was hired roughly six month after losing revealed on a potential $250,000 consulting payday from an investment company seeking state pension business, the Sun-Times reported.

Staff at the state Teachers Retirement classification insisted that Cherry be dropp from a propos $25 million deal with Sterling hap Partners because he "had not participated in an evident way with the potential TR investment," an internal pension body document showed.

Sterling later dropp Cherry as its consultant. In 2005 TR opt not to invest with Sterling.

HIRED FOR EXPERTISE

While Cherry is not accused of any wrongdoing, federal investigators probing corruption at the pension arrangement and under Blagojevich subpoenaed TR records onward the Sterling deal and have focused onward consulting fees tied to other deals.

Reacting to Birkett, an administration spokeswoman reiterated that Cherry was hired to work forward the insurance matter because of his expertise as a lawyer and that campaign contributions to Blagojevich did not influence his selection.

Susan Hofer a spokeswoman with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, also said that releasing Cherry's billing records could compromise pending payment talks with other insurance factors

"The state's attorney of DuPage shire should know better than anyone that information that's part of an ongoing investigation cannot be released, or it could hamper the investigation," she said. "The greatest in number important goal here is our ongoing effort to accumulate on behalf of insurance customers who have been overcharged or misinformed."

dmckinney@suntimes.com

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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