Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday appointed a former legislator as the new director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture after the former director, longtime state Sen. John Sullivan, resigned when he was found to have known in 2012 of an email from a lobbyist defending a state worker for keeping his “mouth shut” about a “rape in Champaign.”
Jerry Costello II will take on the role after serving as the director of law enforcement for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources since May 2019. Prior to this position, Costello was a state representative for the 116th district from 2011 to 2019. During his time in the House, Costello chaired the Agriculture and Conservation Committee, and served on the Pritzker-Stratton Agriculture Transition Committee.
Read more.
