Chicago School Board Begins 2nd Internal Investigation

Former Prosecutor to Review Members' Use of Taxpayer-Funded Expense Accounts

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The Chicago Board of Education disclosed today that it will hire a former federal prosecutor to investigate how members use their taxpayer-financed expense accounts, a move prompted by Tribune inquiries into spending by board president Michael Scott, who committed suicide a week ago.

Clare Munana, the board's interim president, said the internal investigation will be separate from one already under way by the schools' inspector general.

The board will hire Walter Jones, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice, to conduct the investigation. He is to be paid $295 an hour.

Munana's actions came as school officials were compiling documents in response to a Tribune request on Nov. 2 for board members' public expense accounts.

"I've just in the last few days been made aware of materials we were preparing to deliver on the basis of this (request), and as a result of that, I had enough concern and the board had enough concern to say, 'Let's immediately ask for a management review of these documents and the overall board practices,' " Munana said.

School officials set dates three times for when they would provide the public documents to the Tribune but repeatedly stalled their release. They are now claiming that releasing the documents would harm the ongoing investigations.

Scott, one of Mayor Richard Daley's closest friends, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the head. His body was discovered early Nov. 16 next to a River North bridge. Detectives had not found any note, and the motive for his suicide is unknown.

There has been no indication the recent public scrutiny Scott faced as board president, developer and Daley insider played any part in his death.

The Tribune reported last week that Scott used his board credit card to pay for a trip to Copenhagen to lobby for Daley's dream of bringing the 2016 Summer Olympics to Chicago. Scott, who traveled with his wife, stayed at the 71 Nyhavn, a four-star hotel on the Copenhagen waterfront, from Sept. 29 until Oct. 3.

He charged more than $3,000 for airfare, hotel, meals and a bar tab to his board credit card. School officials said Scott had begun paying back the money, writing a check as recently as Nov. 8.

Scott, who served as Daley's board president from 2001 through 2006, was reappointed by the mayor earlier this year to lead the seven-member board.

At Scott's first meeting as president on March 25, board members doubled their spending allowance from $12,000 a year to $24,000. Scott's allowance jumped from $19,200 a year to $36,000. The allowable expenses include telephone charges, transportation to and from board events, purchase of newspapers and journals, and miscellaneous supplies.

But the policy apparently left oversight of spending largely in Scott's hands. Under the policy, Scott would approve his own spending and that of fellow board members, who were required to submit a voucher showing the "necessity for the expense."

"No other accounting or receipts for particular expenses shall be required," according to the new board policy.

Inspector General James Sullivan is looking into aspects of board members' spending. The schools administration gave a copy of the Tribune's request for board spending records to Sullivan.

Sullivan could not be reached for comment.

Vol. 29, Issue 13

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