SPRINGFIELD - They're related to prominent Democrats. They worked on political campaigns. They've given, or their families have, hundreds of thousands of dollars to Gov. Rod Blagojevich. And now the Democratic governor's administration has put them on the payroll as state interns - positions that get them in the door for permanent jobs without following typical hiring procedures, including veterans preference laws. Agencies under Blagojevich have hired 263 “public administration interns” since taking office. At least one-third have helped Democratic candidates, donated to their campaigns or are related to someone who has, an Associated Press analysis of public records found. The AP review, which included thousands of campaign documents, addresses and state employment records since 2000, suggests future interns or their relatives contributed at least $1.3 million to Democrats, including more than $400,000 to Blagojevich. Many of the internships are far from entry-level jobs. One intern was the $54,000-a-year head of an agency's human resources office. Another was an agency's legislative liaison - the same work he had done as a permanent employee for another department. Two dozen interns had been on the state payroll before. Interns with political connections also were more likely to win permanent jobs and to get raises. Sixty-five percent of interns with identifiable connections were promoted to permanent state jobs, compared with 41 percent of the others. The interns include: --Barisa Meckler, who volunteered for Blagojevich when he was in Congress and whose father's law firm has given Blagojevich $98,000. --Steve Hayden, husband of a high-level Blagojevich aide. --Brock and Aaron Phelps, relatives of a Democratic state lawmaker and a former congressman who now works for Blagojevich. Although it wouldn't be unusual in Illinois for a new administration to reward political activists with jobs, Blagojevich took office in 2003 promising to clean up what he described as previous governors' corrupt, patronage-heavy hiring. But he too is battling accusations of “pay-to-play” politics from critics in both parties, and state and federal investigators are reviewing his administration's employment practices. Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said politics is “not a factor” in hiring interns, pointing out that the AP found no connections to two-thirds of the interns hired. She also noted that Blagojevich has hired fewer interns than Republican governors Jim Edgar and George Ryan did. “Agencies are supposed to look at education and relevant work history and look at that in light of what the particular need of the agency is,” Ottenhoff said. Public administration internships, which can last six months to two years, were designed to bring bright people who lack experience into technical and managerial state jobs. Interns make less money than other state employees, but after the internship they often are promoted to full administrative positions - with raises. And the administration may hire them without having to follow laws giving military veterans preference for state jobs or for ensuring an agency has enough minorities. Rep. Dan Reitz, D-Steeleville, acknowledges helping his 23-year-old son, Nicholas, get an internship. Reitz said the administration called him for recommendations when they were hiring legislative liaisons, and he suggested his son, who had volunteered for Blagojevich in college. Nicholas Reitz is a $40,000 intern for the Agriculture Department. Some interns didn't need family connections - they had their own. The Chicago law firm of Bruce Meckler, who is representing Blagojevich in the state attorney general's investigation into allegations that he has traded jobs for contributions, has given the governor's campaign more than $98,000. But Meckler said that had nothing to do with his 22-year-old daughter getting a $24,000 internship with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services in April. That's because Barisa Meckler, who didn't return calls seeking comment, volunteered in Blagojevich's Washington office while he was in Congress. “She actually worked for him before I ever gave anything to the man,” Bruce Meckler said. State Rep. Brandon Phelps said his brother, Brock, and cousin, Aaron Phelps, didn't need his help. He said they had worked for many Democratic candidates over the years, including their uncle, former congressman David Phelps, now assistant state secretary of transportation. “They were always doing campaign work, political work, community work, and they're pretty well known,” said Brandon Phelps, D-Norris City. Aaron Phelps, 32, a $50,800 administrator for the Human Services Department, declined to comment. Thirty-one-year-old Brock Phelps, the Transportation Department's director of governmental affairs at $64,280, did not return a message left on his cell phone. Some of the interns were already familiar faces at state agencies. Reitz was a permanent legislative liaison - essentially an agency's lobbyist - for the State Fire Marshal when he moved to the same position as an intern at the Agriculture Department. Officials at the bigger agency wanted to make sure Reitz was the “right fit,” spokeswoman Chris Herbert said. Kevin Tirey of Springfield, 32, has been a state employee since 1998. He was special assistant to the director of the Capital Development Board when the Environmental Protection Agency tapped him to be the agency's $54,000 human resources manager - as an intern, spokeswoman Maggie Carson said. While Blagojevich's office maintains that connections don't matter, some of the governor's closest advisers helped relatives get internships. The governor's legislative director, Joe Handley, passed along the resume of cousin Dennis Ralph, Ottenhoff said. Ralph, 33, was hired as a Natural Resources Department intern in June 2003 and since has been promoted and given a 28 percent raise to $55,000. Jill Hayden, a Blagojevich aide who oversees environmental issues and the office of boards and commissions, brought 31-year-old husband Steve's resume to the administration before he was hired at Central Management Services, Ottenhoff said. She dismissed the significance of the personal connections, saying both Ralph and Hayden are qualified. “Does the fact that Jill knew her husband had a certain background and forwarded his resume give him any favoritism? No,” Ottenhoff said. “The agency has to look at what their needs are and what this particular individual has to offer.” --- EDITOR'S NOTE: John O'Connor has covered Illinois government and politics for The Associated Press since 1998.