WBGZ Radio 4/9/2021 | By Greg Bishop - Illinois Radio Network Thousands of tax dollars in Business Interruption Grants went to entities that weren’t eligible, less than 1 percent of the $275 million that was distributed, but Republicans and Democrats criticized the administration's overall handling of the program. During a budget hearing Tuesday, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Chief of Staff Cara Bader said at the beginning of the federally-funded Business Interruption Grants, the Secretary of State’s office had a backlog of business renewal applications. “We did not make it a requirement of the program that active good standing had to be confirmed prior to receiving an award because we didn’t want to hold back that essential pandemic relief at the time based on a possible delay in paperwork,” Bader said.