Lauren FitzPatrick

Chief Cook County Judge Timothy Evans tapped a law firm a year ago to investigate possible fraud involving his office’s employees getting federal Paycheck Protection Program loans but won’t discuss what it’s found.

Amid PPP fraud investigation, 9 top employees have left chief Cook County judge’s office

A year into Judge Timothy Evans’ still-secret investigation, the Sun-Times has found that nine of his highest-paid employees who left match loan recipients in the fraud-ridden Paycheck Protection Program.

By Lauren FitzPatrick and Frank Main

Children were among the migrants who boarded a flight chartered by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott from El Paso to Chicago, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2023.

Immigration

Charter plane company used to transport deportees for U.S. was hired by Texas governor to bring asylum-seekers to Chicago

iAero Airways, which has worked for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, transported 120 migrants to O’Hare Airport on Tuesday on orders from Gov. Greg Abbott.

By Tom Schuba, Frank Main, and 2 more

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Alicia Tate-Nadeau are seen in an image that combines two photos of them speaking at podiums.

The Watchdogs

Assistant in Illinois emergency agency quits amid questions over pay that peaked at $48K a month

Between February and August, the executive assistant appointed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker accounted for $240,761.30 in billings — double the salary of her boss.

By Lauren FitzPatrick

A la jefa de operaciones escolares, Crystal Cooper, y otras 11 personas se les ha prohibido volver a trabajar para CPS después de renunciar o ser despedidos luego de la investigación.

La Voz Chicago

Más de una docena de empleados dejan CPS tras acusaciones de fraude en préstamos federales

Se descubrió que los 14 mintieron en sus solicitudes de préstamos PPP de ser trabajadores independientes y algunos inventaron negocios falsos.

By Lauren FitzPatrick

Paycheck Protection Program

Chicago Public Schools COO steps down amid PPP fraud finding by inspector general

Chief Operating Officer Crystal Cooper was one of 14 school staffers caught in Inspector General Will Fletcher’s investigation of COVID-19 relief loans.

By Lauren FitzPatrick

Illinois Emergency Management Agency director Alicia Tate-Nadeau

The Watchdogs

Top officials out at Illinois state emergency agency involved in COVID, disaster response

Three top officials at IEMA, the state agency tasked with responding to disasters across the state including the COVID pandemic and a record number of tornadoes this year, were pushed out late last month.

By Lauren FitzPatrick

Then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot (center) with members of her Chicago Board of Education in 2019, including (from left) Sendhil Revuluri, Luisiana Meléndez, Elizabeth Todd-Breland and Miguel del Valle.

The Watchdogs

Despite Lori Lightfoot’s promise her Board of Ed wouldn’t be ‘a rubber stamp,’ it seldom crossed her

All but 24 of 2,048 votes by school board members the former mayor appointed were unanimously approved — a 99% passage rate with 98% unanimity, the Sun-Times found.

By Lauren FitzPatrick and Nader Issa

The Watchdogs

James T. Weiss gets a victory in CPS school parking lawsuit a week after being convicted of bribing 2 legislators

A Cook County judge sided largely with Weiss and his partner in a parking company in ruling Friday that they owe far less money than CPS was seeking in a suit over paid parking on Chicago school lots.

By Tim Novak and Lauren FitzPatrick

The Watchdogs

10 years after mass CPS school closings, enrollment is even worse. What can be done?

Mayor Brandon Johnson says he opposes closing schools and our investigation shows they didn’t help students or communities. We explore the alternatives.

By Nader Issa, Lauren FitzPatrick, and 1 more