A circuit judge presiding over a lawsuit involving Rep. Tammy Duckworth when she headed the Illinois Veterans Affairs Department set a trial date for August 15, which could disrupt her Senate campaign. 

Two women who worked at a veterans home in southern Illinois allege ethics violations. One claims she was
fired
 in retaliation for 
complaining
 about their boss at the facility. Duckworth later reversed the decision. The other plaintiff says he was given a poor performance review which prevented a pay raise after she
complained as well.

Duckworth’s campaign did not comment on the setting of a trial date.

An Iraq War veteran, Duckworth is running for Senate against Mark Kirk, one of the most vulnerable Senate Republicans up for re-election in November.

Kirk campaign manager Kevin Artl criticized Duckworth over the case.

“After seven years of stalling and excuses, Rep. Duckworth is now finally scheduled to go to trial where she will have to face the whistleblowers she sought to silence and address the abuse and neglect veterans endured during her term as director of Veterans’ Affairs,” Artl said in a statement.

The suit had been tossed out of federal court in 2008 as a “garden variety workplace case.”

Contact Garcia at EricGarcia@cqrollcall.com and follow him on Twitter @EricMGarcia.