STATE’S ATTORNEY COP RESIGNS, OFFICIALS VOW REFORM
An investigator for Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez resigned after being caught on camera by FOX Chicago and the BGA spending work hours at a Bridgeport cigar shop. Alvarez’s aides promised better oversight in the 130-person investigative bureau.
EMANUEL MOVES TO BAN McMAHON ELECTRIC COMPANY FROM CITY WORK
CITY BROKERS PAYMENT PLANS
SEPT. 22, 2011 — After a BGA/CBS2 investigation reveals that four suburbs collectively owe the City of Chicago roughly $15 million in water bills, the Emanuel administration brokers payment plans to try to recoup the outstanding money.
CHICAGO POLICE RELEASE RECORDS
AUG. 5, 2011 — The BGA is successful in getting payroll records on the security detail assigned to Ald. Ed Burke (14th) after suing the Chicago Police Department. The records show that salaries totaled almost $600,000 in one year alone.
SCHOOL DISTRICT OVERSIGHT
AUG. 1, 2011 — Grayslake Elementary District 46 agrees to better oversight of its taxpayer-funded debit cards after the BGA and Daily Herald question heavy spending on food, air travel and other items.
CPS FIRES PRINCIPAL, OTHERS
JULY 27, 2011 — A BGA/CBS2 investigation into a free lunch program for lower-income students at Chicago Public Schools uncovered instances of kids who didn’t qualify for the program. Following the probe, CPS moved to fire more than a dozen employees.
CREDIT CARD PRIVILEGES REVOKED
JULY 12, 2011 — A BGA/FOX Chicago News investigation into credit abuses at governmental agencies prompts the Regional Transportation Authority to cut back on the number of charge cards assigned to its administrators—one of whom used a taxpayer-funded card to pay for her daughter’s high school tuition.
TERMINATION
JULY 1, 2011 — A BGA/CBS2 investigation finds that a city worker at Midway Airport had allowed his friends to bypass security because they were running late for a flight. The BGA and CBS2 also find that city officials, rather than fire the worker when this came to light, put him on paid leave, then gave him another job with more pay. Only after the story aired did supervisors move to terminate the worker.
RAMPED-UP RENOVATIONS
MAY 20, 2011 — After the BGA and FOX Chicago News report that the Chicago Park District is dragging its feet repairing the Garfield Park Gymnasium, which serves at-risk youth on the West Side, the agency ramps up renovations.
