AG election results in lawsuit

The Libertarian candidate in a four-way contest for Illinois attorney general sued incumbent Lisa Madigan Friday in connection with a Freedom of Information Act request. Libertarian Bill Malan, of Chicago, an attorney, claims Madigan is withholding documents related to her Operation Guardian program.

Operation Guardian involves background checks into criminal histories of nursing home employees. In a September news release, Madigan announced findings that more than 100 Illinois nursing home employees and residents had outstanding warrants.

Malan characterized the probe as campaigning at public expense and accused the attorney general's office of refusing to disclose documents about the investigation that would put it in a negative light. Madigan spokeswoman Robyn Ziegler called the lawsuit premature.

The attorney general's office had sought to exempt some documents from disclosure and that request was being reviewed by the agency's public access counselor when Malan filed suit, she said.