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Posted: Wednesday, 01 July 2009 11:57AM
Investigators raid regional education office
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WESTCHESTER, Ill. -- Investigators from the Cook County State's Attorney's office raided the Suburban Cook County Regional Office of Education on Wednesday morning in connection with an ongoing investigation into Supt. Charles Flowers, the SouthtownStar is reporting.
A state audit released in June confirmed SouthtownStar findings that alleged misuse of public money.
There are unconfirmed reports that two of Flowers' second-in-commands left the west suburban Westchester office just one day before the raid. Deputy Supt.
Harry Reynolds and Assistant Supt. Cynthia Broughton are said to have retired Tuesday in a move that puts distance between them and Flowers.
Flowers has not returned multiple calls for comment.
Numerous purchases made on Flowers' regional office credit card were of a personal nature, the audit shows.
Credit card statements obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests detail thousands of dollars spent on food and restaurants, a trip to a hair salon and limo charges. Documents also reveal that Flowers began his tenure with a credit card limit of $5,000, and it is now at $20,000.
Flowers also used his district credit card to pay for airline tickets for family members to Mississippi and rental cars, as well as taking out almost $7,000 in cash advances in Illinois and Mississippi, the audit shows.
Although he claimed the money was used to buy a car and furniture for the office, auditors could find neither.
This is all coming from an office where Flowers hired family and friends, including a nephew whom the audit shows was paid to eat lunch.
Flowers approved $15,000 in cash advances for his executive assistant -- his sister -- and another employee.
In addition, two assistant superintendents collected their $80,000-plus paychecks along with $12,000 and $9,400 in grant money for "consulting services" they did during normal working hours, according to the audit.
He also failed to make the June 30 deadline this week to repay a $190,000 loan for operations from the Cook County Board.
At the time, Flowers said he needed the loan because the office was facing a $413,000 deficit and was underfunded.
Flowers, former special education teacher and administrator, was elected in 2006 to the office that is now nearly $1 million in debt.
For the past few months, the office was late on payroll and earlier this year didn't pay its group health insurance premiums on time, leading to temporarily cancellation of workers' health benefits.
The majority of the two dozen or so workers have either been laid off or had their hours cut.
The office also owes nearly $20,000 in back rent to Westchester Public School District 92 1/2 for the office space, documents show.
Flowers said he repaid the office for personal expenses, but the auditors could not verify that.
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Copyright 2009 STNG Wire, The Chicago Sun-Times. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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