05/10/10
Did Todd Stroger Admit Law Violation?
by John Reynolds
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has been in the hot seat lately over questionable expenditures made by his lame-duck administration. These include purchases of new furniture, pay raises given to staff, and a payment made to a private firm owned by his deputy chief of staff.
Stroger took questions from the Fox Chicago Sunday crew yesterday, during which he made some statements that Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica says amount to the admission of a law violation.
"Please watch the video below of a Fox Chicago Sunday segment set to air tomorrow: at about the 2:55 mark, does Todd Stroger admit an illegal act related to the expenditure of federal funds?" Peraica wrote on his Facebook page, referring to the video of the Fox Chicago Sunday video segment.
During the segment referenced by Peraica, Stroger was answering questions related to a payment of $24,995 made to CGC Communications, LLC — a firm owned by Stroger's deputy chief of staff, Carla Oglesby. The payment raised some eyebrows since it was made shortly after Oglesby joined the Stroger administration.
Stroger claims that Oglesby played no hand in steering the contract toward her firm, but that the payment was made for work performed by CGC Communications, LLC prior to Oglesby's employment with the county. Stroger, however, does say that Oglesby erred by signing "anything" having to do with her former company, and then makes the comments seized upon by Commissioner Peraica.
"We were using money from the feds for this," said Stroger, referring to the source of the funds used to pay Oglesby's firm. "Which it turns out that we shouldn't do, but at the timei we thought it was the correct thing. So, once the feds give you the 'OK' to do everything, then you can start to pay people."
Does this amount to an admission of illegalities by Stroger? Peraica, apparently, believes it raises enough red flags to warrang an investigation.
"The U.S. Attorney needs to investigate," writes Peraica.
Following is the full Fox Chicago Sunday video segment in question:
