An inspector general’s investigation into a problem-plagued “jeans day” program at Cook County courthouses found Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown’s office needed better money-handling and record-keeping procedures.
Brown responded Thursday by canceling jeans days, saying the “totally innocent” effort had become a “distraction.”
Questions about how the clerk’s office handled the money, which came from employees who chipped in $2 or $3 for the privilege of wearing jeans to work, dogged Brown’s failed bid for County Board president this year. Brown also has been criticized for accepting cash gifts from employees on her birthday and Christmas, a practice she stopped last year after the Tribune asked her about it.
On Thursday, Brown tried to get out front of Inspector General Patrick Blanchard’s report by summoning reporters and selectively reading from its findings. Brown then abruptly ended the news conference after less than 10 minutes amid calls from reporters to make the full report public.
Asked whether she was violating county ordinance by publicizing selections from Blanchard’s findings, Brown said, “I thought it was important that the employees and the public knew exactly what the report said, and as I quoted.”
Later, Brown released Blanchard’s report. It found no evidence to support “an allegation of misconduct or wrongdoing” with the jeans day program, but stated that Brown’s office didn’t properly track how many employees gave money to managers. The report calls on Brown’s office to keep better records about how many employees are taking part, to make sure all the money employees contribute finds its way to the appropriate bank account.
The inspector general also found 11 instances in which funds were withdrawn from accounts containing jeans day money in order to pay for things not related to the causes the events were held to support. Those costs included Bulls tickets, tickets to Six Flags Great America and employee parking expenses.
But Brown aides told the inspector general’s office that money was deposited in the jeans day account from other funds specifically so checks could immediately be written to cover those costs. The inspector general found no fraud, but said the funds should be separate.
“The preponderance of the evidence considered during the course of the investigation has revealed that the jeans day fundraiser was operated to support positive employee morale and provide charitable assistance to members of the community,” the report states.
Before the Feb. 2 Democratic primary election, Brown released copies of canceled checks, receipts and bank account records documenting nearly $64,000 in payments made last year under the program.
On Thursday, Brown’s office said the jeans days resulted in more than $336,500 raised for employee morale programs such as picnics and awards and nearly $24,000 for charitable and benevolent causes.
jebyrne@tribune.com