The flipping of Individual A from prosecutorial foe to prosecutorial informant is just one chapter in a still-incomplete book that tells the story of Illinois' latest political scandal. It involves the theft of millions of dollars in state grant funds that were supposed to boost a variety of poverty programs.Jeri Wright, the daughter of President Obama's bombastic former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, has also been indicted for her alleged role in this scandal.
So far, federal prosecutors have indicted 13 people, and the group includes elected and appointed government officials as well as prominent people on the state's political scene. The investigation continues, and it will be no surprise if more people are charged as government gumshoes continue to pressure lesser-involved participants to tell what they know about higher-ups.
The investigation is headed in different directions because different groups of people were allegedly involved in identical but separate criminal conduct. One part of the investigation is focused on theft of grant money awarded by the Illinois Department of Public Health; another focuses on theft of grant money awarded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs. A third case involves education grants awarded to former Chicago Democratic state Rep. Constance Howard, who already has pleaded guilty.
The case against Evans and a series of co-defendants, who include her husband, stems from a $1.3 million grant the state's commerce department awarded to her in 2009 for a pre-apprenticeship training program aimed at increasing the number of women and minorities in the building trades.
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