Beer Tickets Cause Fines

Amy Bliefnick of the Illinois State Fair and John Rednour of the DuQuoin State Fair have been fined by Executive Inspector General Ricardo Meza’s office.

Meza said Rednour asked a beer vendor in 2012 to give him 1,000-2,000 tickets, and Bliefnick allegedly accepted at least 120 tickets last year, each ticket being worth $4.

Rednour no longer works for the fair, resigning to work for his family’s bank.

He said he used the tickets for promotions.

“There was no personal gain (in it) at all,” he said, adding that the practice was “something that’s been done for years.”

He said he it was just good business and he would often give tickets to radio stations to give to listeners and sponsors.

Bliefnick was fined $1,000 and suspended two days without pay.

Rednour was fined $5,000. Nothing in the vendors’ contracts obligated them to provide the free tickets, according to the report, and both employees took part in the annual training that covers the law that prohibits government employees from soliciting or accepting gifts from those doing business or seeking to do business with the state.