Cook County: Now With More Obscure Corruption!

By Kevin Robinson in News on Jun 17, 2009 3:40PM

The hunt is on for Dr. Charles Flowers, the county's Regional Superintendent of Suburban Cook County Schools after a state audit showed that he may have misused county funds for personal gains. The office, which issues teaching certificates, approves school calendars and reviews school districts' finances in suburban Cook County, was deemed so useless that it was eliminated in 1994. A political deal in Springfield later resurrected it. Flowers, who's is the head of the office, is suspected of using tens of thousands of dollars in state money to hire relatives and pay for personal expenses. Included in the spending is a vehicle, furniture and personal cash advances.

Flowers convinced the county to loan his office $190,000 last year to help cover payroll. That loan will come due at the end of this month, but in wake of the audit, it seems unlikely that the county will get that money back. "This is an example of flagrant corruption at its most heightened," Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth Gorman told CBS2. Gorman was the only commissioner to oppose the loan last year. "We took this man on his word and unfortunately, we were sidetracked and really buffaloed," said Cook County Commissioner John Daley told CBS2.

On Tuesday county commissioners issued a no-confidence vote against Flowers, calling for his resignation. Neither county officials or the press have been able to locate Flowers.