Comptroller seeks investigation into Washington Park’s missing $300K

by Andrew Wyatt This year, Washington Park lost $300,000 of taxpayer money meant to cover village workers’ paychecks. The village also has not filed any financial reports, audits or tax statements to the comptroller’s office for the last seven years. The village of Washington Park, which is near East St. Louis, is no stranger to...

by Andrew Wyatt

This year, Washington Park lost $300,000 of taxpayer money meant to cover village workers’ paychecks. The village also has not filed any financial reports, audits or tax statements to the comptroller’s office for the last seven years.

The village of Washington Park, which is near East St. Louis, is no stranger to public corruption.

Here is a list of some of the other public scandals residents have endured over the last decade:

• In 2004 auditors alleged that village officials were taking money from the village tax increment finance, or TIF, district and motor fuel fund and transferring it into the city’s general bank account, with no records of where the money went from there. While the incident is almost 10 years old, Washington Park is still having trouble filling its TIF reports at the comptroller’s office, as our recent report shows.
• In 2006 a resident was sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison for stealing more than $170,000 from the village to cover personal expenses for herself and others.
• In 2009 the payroll clerk was sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing nearly $144,000 from the village between 2006 and 2007.
• Also in 2009, the mayoral assistant was sentenced to three years for embezzling, and intentionally misapplying money and property from 2005 to 2007 in the amount of almost $370,000.
• As a result, in 2009 Washington Park attempted to file for bankruptcy because of a lack in village funds. Their request was dismissed by a federal court because the village didn’t have the authority under state law to seek relief.
• In 2010 the mayor was shot and killed in his car under suspicious circumstances. The murder trial had multiple controversies, including police payoffs and witnesses tampering with evidence.
• In 2012 the village clerk reported to local and state police that 50 boxes of documents were shredded by a village employee shortly after they were notified of an impending audit by the comptroller’s office.

Finally, the case concerning the missing $300,000 is being turned over to the state’s attorney general for investigation.

Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka labeled Washington Park a financial disaster area last week – but why did it take so long to do so and what could have been done to prevent this corruption?

The answer for preventing and exposing corruption is increased government transparency

Transparency is the best practice for discouraging and fighting public corruption on all levels of government, and makes it easier for citizens, watchdogs and the media to raise issues sooner. See thecity of Dixon or West Harvey-Dixmoor School District 147 as recent examples of government bodies failing to operate with transparency and accountability.

It is not surprising that Washington Park earned one of the lowest scores in Illinois Policy Institute history on our local government transparency audit. Out of a possible 100 points, the village scored a dismal 3.8.

Washington Park doesn’t even come close to completing any of our transparency categories such as posting budgets, audits, expenditures, contracts or even keeping up-to-date names and contact information of elected officials and administrators online.

We hope other municipalities throughout Illinois, no matter what size, are paying attention to Washington Park.