FBI Raids Cook County Offices As Hiring Scandal Develops

By Scott Smith in News on Sep 22, 2006 1:15PM

OK, look. We know it's hard to get a job in the Chicago area. Hell, it took Chicagoist about three months to find a good job, even with a pretty solid resume. But with another hiring scandal coming out of the woodwork nearly every month, we can't help but wonder if it's impossible for anyone to get a government job through traditional means.

If you were wondering why you never heard back about that Cook County job that you were totally qualified for but never heard back about, maybe the FBI will be able to help you figure out some answers.

Around 9 a.m. on Thursday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation stormed the Cook County Building and seized human resources records for throughout the day. The search warrants were also served at several other Cook County offices, including Provident Hospital, Cermak Hospital and the forest preserve district. .

Although the warrant is tied to a sealed affidavit, the charges are believed to be connected to hiring practices common under recently retired Cook County Board President John Stroger. Last month, the Sun-Times reported that county officials frequently rewarded politically-connected candidates over those who scored higher on civil service exams. This comes on the back of news reported last month of the rapid addition of 1,300 county employees amidst a hiring freeze after John Stroger suffered a stroke.

With the rather solid history of hiring scandals throughout the city and state, we admit we're not entirely surprised by this news. But seriously, what gives? One would think that given the beleaguered history of corruption and scandal in state and city government, at least one major office would finally wise up, choosing to hire the most qualified candidates (shocker!!!) who may actually be able to turn things around.

But for the time being, county employees and wannabe government workers had better get familiar with Craigslist…and fast.

Image via Daquella manera

Thanks, Olivia!