Rap Promoter Received $24,975 Contract from Cook County to Promote Compost Awareness

Chicago - A rap promoter and TV producer named Terrell "Shorty Capone" Harris is the latest friend of Cook County Deputy Chief of Staff Carla Oglesby to get a "24-9" contract from Cook County.

FOX Chicago News has uncovered a dozen of these "24-9" contracts -- so called because they're usually for amounts just under the $25,000 that requires approval of the full board.

The money for Harris' contract comes from a $10 million federal grant to improve the environment; Harris was paid to promote composting.

"I don't know the connection between a rap promoter and leaf composting," said Cook County Commissioner Peter Silvestri. "I'd like to see that and I think we have a right to see that."

It's hard to tell what the real name of the company is, because it uses two names. The name "Urban Report" and "Urban Rapport" appear in different places, but either way that company is not listed in state records. The phone number was out of service. When we went to the address listed on the contract, we found an unrelated business.

When we tried to track "Shorty Capone" Harris down through the television show he pays to air here on FOX Chicago, the address and phone number listed on documents here in our offices led us to none other than CGC Communications -- Carla Oglesby's private company.

Oglesby told us that referred Harris to the County and wrote the justification letter for his composting contract.

"Clearly the qualification is that you have the ability to do community outreach," she said. "And what person would be better than that than a person who has a television show, who has a radio show, who has several websites."