A Chicago attorney is asking a judge to order an investigation into hiring under Gov. Pat Quinn, saying there's an ``embedded culture of patronage practices'' in Illinois government.
Michael Shakman's lawyers filed the motion in federal court in Chicago on Tuesday.
The filing accuses Quinn of improper political hiring in the Illinois Department of Transportation.
It cites a 2013 Better Government Association report that concluded hundreds of jobs may have been wrongly filled based on ``clout instead of competence.''
IDOT Spokesman Guy Tridgell says the office launched an audit ``immediately'' after the report.
He says at least 50 positions the administration deemed exempt from a state rule banning political hires will be reclassified.
Tridgell says going forward those positions will be filled without consideration of subjective standards, such as politics.
