Maria on the hot seat. Or at least an expensive one. Third installment of our BGA/CBS 2 investigation of the questionable budget, personnel and spending practices of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas reveals expenditures of $23,000 for new office furniture and $27,000 for the services of an office designer.
- Jersey boys. Capitol Fax reports that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is spending the day in Chicago to encourage local business owners angry about the recent Illinois income tax hike to relocate to his state. This follows a radio ad that Gov. Quinn pooh-poohed.
- Preckwinkle’s “Dead POET Society”. The new Cook County president suspends at least seven employees of the scandal-plagued POET (President’s Office of Employment Training) program, according to the Sun-Times. Carpe diem!
- Sanchez sentence. The Trib also reports that Mayor Daley’s former Streets and San commissioner, Al Sanchez, is sentenced to 2-and-a-half years in prison for his role in rigging the city’s hiring system.
- Masen jar. The Southtown Star reports on Thomas Masen’s guilty plea for his role in a minority contracting scam that’s already snared his wife for posing as a WBE. Their company, Azteca Supply, used mayoral candidate Gery Chico’s law firm to lobby City Hall for business.
