Quinn’s economic development department raced to dole out 609 state grants to local governments, schools and businesses, according to records his administration filed with the Illinois state comptroller.
The total tab for the grants given out in his final 69 days in office came to about half as much as Quinn handed out during the entire 2013-14 budget year.
Most of the grants had been in the planning stages for months, even years, according to Quinn aides. But his administration didn’t finish and send the paperwork to the comptroller’s office to pay any of them until after the Chicago Democrat lost the Nov. 4 election to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.