Cook County Contracts under Investigation

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson The Chicago Sun-Times reports that a dozen Cook County contracts are being investigated by the county’s ethics board and inspector general. Two of the contracts went to businesses that are not registered with the county or state, “a requirement of businesses doing contract work for Cook County”. The article states: Contracts obtained by the Sun-Times...

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that a dozen Cook County contracts are being investigated by the county’s ethics board and inspector general. Two of the contracts went to businesses that are not registered with the county or state, “a requirement of businesses doing contract work for Cook County”. The article states:

Contracts obtained by the Sun-Times reveal each contract is under the $25,000 mark — many by just a few dollars — which means they didn’t come before Cook County commissioners for approval.

They include a public relations contract given to a company by the name of Urban Rapport for $24,975 “to build awareness of the department’s (Department of Environmental Control) energy and conservation program,” according to a letter written by Stroger’s Deputy Chief of Staff Carla Oglesby to green light the contract.

But a check of state and county records shows that Urban Rapport, run by convicted felon and hip-hop promoter Terrell “Shorty Capone” Harris, isn’t a registered businesses in Illinois — a requirement of businesses doing contract work for Cook County.

Harris couldn’t be reached for comment. His phone number on the contract was disconnected and, as WFLD-Channel 32 first reported, the West Loop business address he gave is home to another firm that didn’t know of Harris or Urban Rapport.

A similar contract to spread the word about the county’s green initiative was given to Arrei Management Inc., once owned by Stroger’s beleaguered chief of staff Oglesby and dissolved in 2008, state records show. Stroger already suspended Oglesby for signing off on a $24,975 contract for her private public relations firm — CGC Communications — in recent months.

It was a CGC executive vice president, Tesa Anewishki, who prepared a written proposal to the county for Arrei, which eventually landed a $24,995 contract.

The full Chicago Sun-Times article is available here.