By AP/KWMU
Springfield, IL – A military veteran who received a top grade from Illinois' hiring agency says he was not interviewed for a job that went to a congressman's relative.
James Taft was deemed qualified for a pilot's job by the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) on September 4th, 2003. A few days later, Taft was left off of a CMS list of applicants.
The job went to Brian Keen, U.S. Representative's Jerry Costello's son-in-law.
Justin DeJong, a spokesman for CMS, says Keen was the most qualified veteran on the list.
DeJong also says Taft was left off of the list because of an antiquated system for handling job applications. Taft's application was graded, but he was not immediately added to the official list of job candidates.