Cook County sues education office for $190,000

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office filed suit Monday against the county's Regional Office of Education and Superintendent Charles Flowers to get back a $190,000 loan, charging that Flowers schemed to defraud the county to get the money.

In June of last year, the Cook County Board approved the interest-free loan because Flowers said his office was underfunded by the state and needed to cover a short-term debt.

Repayment was due June 30, but not a penny has been paid and nothing has been said about it from Flowers or his office.

This June, the state Auditor General found that Flowers had used office funds to buy airline tickets and to advance money to family members, including his sister, who was his assistant. There was no record of the loan in the education office's records, the audit found, and it was unlikely the office could repay the loan due to its $942,000 deficit.

The amount of the loan was slightly more than significant new expenditures such as $146,000 for a payroll padded with Flowers' family members, $21,000 for new computers and $9,000 for a new phone system - even though the office had just bought a new phone system in 2006.

The office, located in Westchester, helps teachers and bus drivers get required certifications. Some county board members have said the office is useless and called for it to be abolished, as it was once previously.

Flowers, who lives in Maywood, was not available for comment.