Strategic Placement & Surveillance Operative within HFS Leadership Pipeline

Overview:
Patrick Lindstrom’s placement within the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) was presented as an “internship,” yet his role and background revealed a far more calculated and politically protected assignment. His trajectory reflects a strategic pipeline designed by former HFS Director Theresa Eagleson to groom future leadership—without regard for union processes or transparency.

Background:
While Patrick was initially embedded as Dana Rachelle Wilson’s assistant during her work on the HealthChoice Illinois ADT program, it quickly became evident he was not there to assist—but to monitor, collect insight, and ultimately contribute to her removal.

Key Concerns:

Political Grooming Program: Patrick frequently referenced Theresa Eagleson, indicating she had personally appointed him and others to move through various departments within HFS in preparation to become agency leadership. This initiative bypassed standard union protections, application procedures, and civil service hiring laws. It was a quiet but deliberate restructuring plan that broke union rules and undermined merit-based advancement.
Surveillance Presence: Although labeled an intern, Patrick had no background in the technical aspects of ADT, data strategy, or health information exchange. Dana trained him in every detail, yet he always knew he was leaving. Despite her petition for him to stay (due to extreme understaffing), he was abruptly reassigned—only to reappear periodically, seemingly just to “check on her” without any real agenda (very odd since he lived in Chicago). These visits were part of a larger pattern of passive monitoring.
Links to High-Level Figures: Patrick maintained close relationships with key players in the HFS power structure. He frequently stayed with and drove senior officials like Shawn McGady (Legislative Affairs) and Ben Winick (advisor to the Governor) to and from Chicago. His direct access to decision-makers was disproportionate to his job title.
Connection to Jose Jimenez: After leaving Dana’s unit, Patrick began working for Jose Jimenez, whose profile also indicates close involvement in surveillance, funding allocation, and healthcare oversight. Patrick was present at strategic moments and repeatedly inserted into organizational politics in ways that suggested deeper intelligence collection.
Suspicious Coordination: Dana had even gone out of her way to deliver upgraded monitors to Patrick in Chicago—only to realize later this effort had been staged to coincide with her visit to see Ignacio Moreno Mendoza (nephew of the Illinois Comptroller). There appeared to be a bait-and-trap setup to accuse Dana of abusing her time, despite her regular practice of making up all hours through time off the books.

Union Violations & Precedent:
One of Jim Hunter’s employees, who held a similar “assistant” title, fought to be included in the union due to the illegal creation of these shadow roles. That person won their case. The positions given to Patrick and others are now unionized, and their real purpose was to bypass the traditional hiring structure in favor of political grooming.

Reflections from Dana:

“Patrick was polite. He was helpful. But it was all a mask. He was a polite spy—installed to absorb all the knowledge, extract the strategy, and report back to the higher-ups. They used me to train my replacement while plotting my exit. That isn’t public service. That’s betrayal wrapped in a smile.”

Conclusion:
Patrick Lindstrom’s trajectory illustrates the covert strategies used by leadership to subvert union protections, embed surveillance mechanisms, and quietly replace dissenters or whistleblowers. While masked as development and support, his placement served a long game of consolidation, monitoring, and displacement—all orchestrated by those in the highest seats of power.