Lawyer Blames Blago for Ethics Complaint Alleging She Showed Off Her Implants
An Illinois lawyer has filed a whistleblower lawsuit blaming the administration of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich for ethics charges claiming she showed her bare breasts to co-workers and used state computers to display nude photos of her herself.
The lawyer, Tamara Tanzillo, was fired in 2009 from her job as chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services, the Chicago Tribune reports. At the time, an inspector general’s report found she had gone shopping on state time and engaged in “arguably decadent personal behavior.”
Now a complaint by the Illinois Registration and Disciplinary Commission details the allegations against Tanzillo, who formerly used the last name Hoffman. Tanzillo’s lawyer, Stephen Komie, claims in a lawsuit that Tanzillo was targeted because she refused to do improper political work as a state employee during the Blagojevich administration.
The ethics complaint by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission alleges Tanzillo twice showed her naked breasts to female co-workers and asked what they thought of her implants. She is also accused of using her state computer for personal use, including to display nude photos of herself and others. Other allegations include shopping on state time, falsified time sheets and threatening a romantic rival. (Criminal charges related to the alleged threat were dropped, however.)
In one incident, the IARDC claims, Tanzillo arrived at work in July 2007 smelling of alcohol. She allegedly informed a guard that the “Boss Lady” had arrived and danced the hula on the elevator.
Komie tells the Tribune his client will vigorously defend herself against the allegations. The Legal Profession Blog broke news of the complaint.
