Rutherford eventually became responsible for expansion of the company's businesses internationally, licensing services in Chile, Brazil, Honduras, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Guam, Venezuela, South Africa, Spain, and a host of other countries.

During the 1980 Republican Party presidential primaries, Rutherford coordinated a congressional district for the campaign of Ronald Reagan.

After Fahner's loss, Rutherford returned to Thompson's administration, this time as the manager for the International Business Division of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs.

[5][6] In 1991, Robert Mosbacher, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, appointed Rutherford to the International Service Advisory Committee.

[8] In an unusually competitive general election for the otherwise staunchly Republican area of the state, Democratic candidate and basketball coach Chuck Rolinski came within two percentage points of defeating Rutherford.

As a lawmaker, Rutherford sponsored and directed legislation which changed the formula for reimbursing nursing homes for care of the elderly.

[16][17] The complaint was filed just a few weeks before Rutherford was scheduled to face off against the other contenders in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

In November 2017, attorneys for Rutherford and Michalowski agreed that the lawsuit be "dismissed without prejudice", meaning that it could be re-filed.