Results & Reforms

OCT. 4, 2011 — As a result of a seven-month BGA/Center on Wrongful Convictions investigation that uncovered the high cost of wrongful convictions to taxpayers and the heavy human toll on those affected by wrongful convictions, the Illinois Senate Criminal Law Committee, led by Senators Mike Noland (D-22) and Kwame Raoul (D-13), heard testimony from three wrongfully convicted

SEPT. 22, 2011 — After a BGA/CBS2 investigation reveals that four suburbs collectively owe the City of Chicago roughly $15 million in water bills, the Emanuel administration brokers payment plans to try to recoup the outstanding money.

As a result of BGA investigations into credit card abuse by city agencies, Chicago Public Schools Chief Administrator Tim Cawley ordered Thursday that all CPS credit cards be torn up and tossed away.

SEPT. 1, 2011 — The BGA and FOX Chicago News uncover lavish credit card spending by the principal of Ogden International School on the Gold Coast, prompting the Chicago Public Schools’ inspector general to launch an investigation.

AUG. 27, 2011 — The BGA and the Chicago Sun-Times discover that state Rep. Dan Burke (D-Chicago) awarded a college scholarship to a young woman who apparently lived outside of his district, in violation of the rules. The State Board of Education forwards this finding to the FBI, which already is investigating alleged corruption in the decades-old free-tuition program.

AUG. 5, 2011 — The BGA is successful in getting payroll records on the security detail assigned to Ald. Ed Burke (14th) after suing the Chicago Police Department. The records show that salaries totaled almost $600,000 in one year alone.

AUG. 1, 2011 — Grayslake Elementary District 46 agrees to better oversight of its taxpayer-funded debit cards after the BGA and Daily Herald question heavy spending on food, air travel and other items.

JULY 27, 2011 — A BGA/CBS2 investigation into a free lunch program for lower-income students at Chicago Public Schools uncovered instances of kids who didn’t qualify for the program. Following the probe, CPS moved to fire more than a dozen employees.

JULY 12, 2011 — A BGA/FOX Chicago News investigation into credit abuses at governmental agencies prompts the Regional Transportation Authority to cut back on the number of charge cards assigned to its administrators—one of whom used a taxpayer-funded card to pay for her daughter’s high school tuition.

JULY 1, 2011 — A BGA/CBS2 investigation finds that a city worker at Midway Airport had allowed his friends to bypass security because they were running late for a flight. The BGA and CBS2 also find that city officials, rather than fire the worker when this came to light, put him on paid leave, then gave him another job with more pay. Only after the story aired did supervisors