Thursday, April 16, 2015

Fitting for Cuffs: Chicago Schools "CEO" Barbara Byrd-Bennett Under Fed Probe - and they didn't even get to the cheating

Quite courteous of the prosecutor's to wait until Rahm's re-election to announce this... or is it going to follow the Nixon/watergate scenario, where re-election is followed by a steady flood of allegations? One can only hope...Michael Fiorillo
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150415/BLOGS02/150419890/feds-probe-cps-chief-barbara-byrd-bennett-source
Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett is the subject of a federal criminal probe into possible contract irregularities, sources close to CPS and City Hall are reporting.
CPS so far is declining to comment on the involvement of Ms. Byrd-Bennett, who would supervise contract awarding in her capacity as the system's chief executive. But earlier in the day Board of Education President David Vitale released a statement saying CPS was "cooperating" with federal agents in their investigation of possible "misconduct" within the system.
Earlier: What are the feds probing at CPS?
One top CPS source says Byrd-Bennett has said she has done nothing wrong, but the investigation is continuing.
News of the probe comes at a time when CPS faces a hole of more than $1 billion in its budget for the 2015-16 school year. It also comes just a week after Mayor Rahm Emanuel was re-elected to a new term.
4:45 P.M. UPDATE:
Catalyst Chicago also is reporting that Byrd-Bennett is under investigation and has some details on what the probe is about.
Citing “sources,” the education journal says the feds are reviewing a $20 million no-bid contract Byrd-Bennett awarded under controversial circumstances to a principal-training academy for which she once worked.
The report also says CPS Inspector General Nick Schuler has been reviewing the matter for some time. IGs and federal prosecutors often end up working together on corruption cases.

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