Rauner budget consultant recently pays off IRS lien

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - A consultant hired by Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner to address the state's budget crisis recently paid off an Internal Revenue Service lien.

The Springfield Bureau of Lee Enterprises reports that (http://bit.ly/1FICMSK ) Florida-based consultant Donna Arduin (ahr-DOO'-ehn) paid off the $166,000 lien on Jan. 26.

It had been in place for more than a year before she began working for Rauner's administration on a four-month, $120,000 contract.

Rauner spokesman Lance Trover says Arduin borrowed money from a retirement account to pay for property, but wasn't able to repay it within the 60-day window needed to avoid a penalty because a bank loan was taking too long to process.

He says Arduin worked out a payment plan with the IRS for fees and interest, and the lien was not punitive.