CHA CEO Wined, Dined With City-Issued Credit Card

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jun 7, 2011 3:00PM

The Better Government Association and Fox Chicago is reporting that Mayor Emanuel's order to stop using city-issued credit cards was prompted by the expenses racked up by high-ranking officials within the Chicago Housing Authority, including CEO Lewis Jordan.

Jordan apparently has a fondness for dining in the Viagra Triangle. He used his city-issued credit card for meals at Carmine's, Hugo's Frog Bar, Gibson's, and even a mentoring lunch with a Chicago public schools student at the Tavern on Rush.

BGA reports that the credit card use wasn't limited to power lunches.

We also found thousands of dollars in credit card charges for flowers for CHA employees, including monthly cakes to celebrate their birthdays, holiday gifts for senior staff, a suite at the united center to boost employee morale, and nearly $800 to pay for red light camera tickets.

BGA executive director Andy Shaw called the spending "disgraceful."

"Obviously the CHA Board was out to lunch when the administration was out to dinner. And as a result they missed this, and a lot of poor people suffer when money is spent this way," Shaw said.