Cook Co. employees suspended in billing probe
Three Cook County employees have been suspended while the county's Inspector General looks into allegations they signed off on allegedly falsified invoices from a vendor, a source confirmed Thursday.
The three employees, who have not been criminally charged with any wrongdoing, either could not be reached Thursday or hung up on a reporter. All three work at Provident Hospital in the purchasing department.
One has a relative at the company in question, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The company's phone directory also lists an employee there with the same last name of one of the county employees who is suspended.
The vendor has given thousands in campaign contributions to county officials. It donated more than $3,000 to past Cook County Board President Bobbie Steele, who handed off her commissioner's seat to son Robert Steele recently. He also has received $600 from the company. One of the suspended employees is listed as an officer of Bobbie Steele's campaign fund.
Other politicians receiving donations include Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. The company has also donated generously to the Eighth Ward Democratic Organization and past President John H. Stroger, but has given no money since Todd Stroger took the reins of office in 2006.
A cursory review of county minutes shows the company has received more than $1 million in business from the county in the last five years for services. No one at the company could be reached for comment Thursday.
Stroger's office released a press release Thursday that said the suspensions are in line with the president no-tolerance policy. "President Stroger has made it clear that there is no room for corruption or fraud in County government. Upon learning of allegations of misconduct at Provident Hospital, the Administration took swift action and suspended three individuals suspected of involvement in illegal activity," the release said.
A spokesman for the president could not say why the matter had not been referred to criminal authorities, or whether those offices were already looking into it.
County Commissioner Forrest Claypool said the accusations against the county employees sound familiar.
"These are allegations that are eerily familiar," he said, noting that former Provident CFO Earl Bell was convicted of a kickback scheme involving a vendor just a few years ago.
"If these allegations turn out to be true, it's just further evidence that there's no serious management oversight of county government. This is the first place that you would think President Stroger would be watching over, given the history."