Arlington Hts. man confirmed as state inspector general
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Senate Wednesday voted to confirm Ricardo Meza of Arlington Heights as the state's executive inspector general, the man charged with investigating wrongdoing in much of state government.
Meza was appointed to the job by Gov. Pat Quinn in September and has been working in the position since. Senate confirmation makes his job official going forward.
Meza is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney out of Chicago and worked as an official with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
He was sponsored during confirmation hearings by state Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican.
“He struck me as having enough independence in his background,” Murphy said.
The executive inspector general in Illinois is charged with investigating alleged wrongdoing in the governor's office and all of the state agencies the governor controls.
The full Senate confirmation vote was 48-0, with state Sen. Dan Duffy, a Lake Barrington Republican, among three senators voting “present.”
Meza was hired after Quinn fired former Executive Inspector General James Wright earlier this year.
Shortly after Quinn made the move, it was revealed that Wright had criticized Quinn's chief-of-staff at the time for sending political e-mails from his state account. Former Chief-of-Staff Jerry Stermer quit over the incident.
Meza said he's confident the inspector general will continue to operate independently.
“I feel very comfortable that there are checks and balances in place,” he said. “We continue to be independent.”