Leftist Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) weighed in on Maine’s chaotic race on Thursday, reminding the public of Nirav Shah’s role in the mishandling of a deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak and opposing his Senate bid.

“Maine deserves better than someone who put his public image before the safety of our Veterans. Too many of our heroes lost their lives under Nirav Shah’s watch as Illinois Public Health Director. I called for his resignation then, and I strongly oppose his run for Senate now,” said Sen. Duckworth on X.

Duckworth’s statement harkened back to Shah’s time as Illinois’ public health director from 2015 to 2018, when he was appointed by Republican Governor Bruce Rauner.

During his time, in 2015, Shah oversaw the response to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at the Illinois Veterans Home that killed 12 veterans; it then returned in 2016, 2017, and 2018, leaving a total of 13 dead.

The disease is caused by a waterborne bacterium, and it spread throughout the veterans home due to malfunctions in its aging plumbing system.

Amid the recurring outbreaks, reports revealed that Shah was aware of citable water system failures in the Veterans Home that likely caused the outbreaks, but did nothing.

“This is a citable offense,” said Shah at the time. “If we had wanted to cite them, we could have done so.”

Shah also contributed to a delay in the response to the outbreak when he and the Illinois Health Department waited six days after the first two confirmed cases before informing the residents in the infected facility, their families, or the public about the outbreak.

Duckworth made her comment on Thursday in response to Capitol News Illinois reporter Brenden Moore, who posted a joint 2018 statement from Duckworth and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

“There was definitive evidence that a serious public health crisis was underway at the veterans’ home in Quincy in 2015, and the Rauner Administration and Director Shah chose to sit on their hands as veterans and staff at the home fell victim to these deadly bacteria. It’s an outrage that time after time the Governor and his team prioritized public relations over protecting vulnerable veterans, their spouses, and staff at IVH Quincy. Director Shah’s response to this tragedy reflects the height of irresponsibility and negligence, and it’s time for him to go,” said Duckworth and Sen. Durbin in a 2018 statement calling for Shah’s resignation.

The senators and multiple other sources, including news outlets, suggested that the delay was, in part, an attempt to avoid a public relations crisis at the expense of the safety of vulnerable veterans.

The outbreaks ultimately led to multiple lawsuits and a $6.4 million settlement with the families of those killed in the outbreaks.

In March 2019, the Illinois Office of the Auditor General released a comprehensive 122-page report on the outbreak and the response to it, in which Shah is referenced only by his job title, never by name.

Shah resisted calls for his resignation and has maintained that he handled the outbreak properly. He held his position until Gov. Rauner lost his 2018 re-election bid.

He then moved on to his position as Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control under Gov. Janet Mills (D-Maine), where he oversaw the state’s draconian response to COVID-19.

Shah formally announced his run for the Democratic Senate nomination set to be relinquished by Platner on Thursday morning.

“We must defeat Susan Collins, hold Donald Trump accountable, and fight for a government that delivers for everyday Mainers, not the privileged few. That’s why today, I am proud to announce my candidacy for the United States Senate,” said Shah.

“I’m proud to have dedicated my career to public service, and to have delivered for Mainers in our darkest times. Now, in this unprecedented moment, I’m ready to unite our party and fight for you once again,” he added.