Former IL Health Director Investigated For Ethics Violations: Reports

ILLINOIS — Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the state’s former health director who gave regular updates to the public regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, is under investigation by the state ethics board in connection with the job she accepted after leaving the state health department earlier this year, according to reports.

In March, Ezike stepped down from her role with the Illinois Department of Public Health to accept a position to run Sinai Health System. However, state ethics law stipulates that state employees must wait a year before accepting a job with companies that have contracts with state departments that oversee their work, according to the Better Government Association.

The Office of the Illinois Executive Inspector General opened the investigation after inquiries were made by the BGA into the transition from state employee to working in the private sector.

Ezike was making more than $178,000 with the state health department. She accepted the job with Sinai Health Systems in April later to run the organization, which is one of the state’s top not-for-profit organizations.

The Better Government Association found that between March 2021 and when Ezike stepped down from IDPH, Sinai Health Systems was awarded five grants totaling more than $2.1 million.

Each of the grants was labeled as contracts, according to BGA and in the documents, the health department’s oversight of the department is outlined. Each of the grant awards was signed by Ezike, the outlet reported.

However, attorneys for Ezike said that the former health director did not violate ethics laws by stepping into the role, BGA reported. One of her lawyers told the outlet that the grants do not qualify as contracts and even though they are marked as such, the language is simply “boilerplate” required by the state comptroller.

The Better Government Association reported three weeks before stepping down from IDPH, Ezike sent an email to the inspector general defending her rapid jump from her role with the department to working with the private non-profit.

"I do not believe Dr. Ezike violated the revolving door," Heather Wier Vaught told the outlet, according to media reports. "From a legal perspective, it's not clear cut. That's part of the problem with Illinois' law. The revolving door law is not clear-cut. It's very gray."

On Monday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who often appeared at news conferences with Ezike discussing the pandemic and restrictions put into place by COVID-19, referred to the former head of the health department as a "phenomenal public servant." who saved lives. She said that he does not believe Ezike did anything wrong as she "is somebody who is always trying to do the right thing," the governor said Monday.

"She has been a leader who has helped Illinois become a leader at vaccinating people and making sure that we had testing available, keeping people healthy," Pritzker said.

He added: "All I can tell you is that Dr. Ezike left the Department of Public Health, not to take some big-time job at a major corporation pharmaceutical or otherwise, she went to a safety net hospital, doing again, yet again more public service."