Todd Stroger Employee's Firm Awarded County Contract

Chicago - One of Todd Stroger’s top-ranking Cook County employees received a county contract for her private business just days after being hired, a FOX Chicago News investigation has found.

In February, Stroger appointed Carla Oglesby to be his deputy chief of staff. Ten days later, Oglesby’s company CGC Communications, received a check from the county for $24,975. The contract was just $25 under the mandatory reporting requirement to the County Board.

"I think at this point we're having a going out of business sale and everything must go and we're pulling in all of Todd's friends and family and giving them jobs and contracts," said Cook County Commissioner Tim Schneider.

"Anything over $25,000 would have to endure the scrutiny of the board," Schneider said. "We've seen too many times that these contracts fly right under the radar of the $25,000 threshhold and this is happening time and time again."

We spent the day trying to get a comment from Oglesby, but she was unavailable.

On Wednesday, the County issued a statement saying: "Prior to Ms. Oglesby's employment in the Office of the President... (she) formally disassociated herself from any active or managerial role (in the company)."

However, when we went by CGC Communications, an employee told us she still works there.

On Wednesday, we watched as the Cook County Ethics Commissioner and others went in and out of Oglesby's office this as the investigation into our findings heated up. However Oglesby never did walk out past us. We're told she called building security to ask for another way out and set up a diversion making us think she went out the fire escape.

When we asked President Stroger about it, he said: "You probably know more than I do, so I can't speak on it until I have something to speak about."