Second Stroger staffer charged

For the second time in less than in a month, a staffer of Cook County Board President Todd Stroger was charged in federal court.

Though, unlike the felony charges handed to former Deputy Chief of Staff Carla Oglesby, Deputy Director of Technology Dudley Donelson was not indicted on charges involving his position with the county.

Donelson was indicted Friday on bankruptcy fraud charges for failing to disclose assets.

According to a seven-page indictment, Donelson did not disclose that he served as an officer in South suburban companies IT Suite and Precious Stone Limousine Inc. before filing bankruptcy. He and his wife, Leighe, also were cited for allegedly hiding nearly $70,000 they received from the settlement of the wrongful death lawsuit involving her mother.

Donelson also is involved in a federal lawsuit for having a possible interest in a company that benefits from Project Shield a $45 million federal homeland security project to improve police surveillance systems. The program has come under fire for cost overruns and waste.

On Oct. 5, Stroger then-Deputy Chief of Staff Oglesby was charged with three counts of corruption theft of government property, money laundering and official misconduct over a series of no-bid contracts she issued this year, including two to her own firms.

Stroger spokesman James Ramos called the charges against Donelson “basically a personal issue that he has to deal with.”

Donelson could not be reached for comment.

Also Friday, Stroger's office attempted to put out a fire dispelling a rumor that files had been seized from some county offices.

Stroger critic and county Commissioner Tony Peraica said he'd received a tip from a county employee around 9:30 p.m. Thursday that files were taken from Stroger's office and the minority contract compliance office.

Ramos dismissed that allegation, noting that the FOX TV show “Ride Along” had been at the office to film from about 3 p.m. Thursday until “the wee hours of the morning.”

He said files were “definitely not taken” from the office.