State cuts off money to UNO charter schools over insider deals
Source: Chicago Sun Times
Gov. Pat Quinns administration has cut off funding to the states largest charter-school operator, the politically influential United Neighborhood Organization, over insider deals it says violated terms of a $98 million state grant, according to a letter obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The deals involved millions of dollars in state funds that went to companies owned by two brothers of a high-ranking UNO executive, Miguel dEscoto, that were hired as contractors on state-funded school construction projects in Chicago, according to the letter, which was sent to the organization Thursday from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
The state agency began investigating UNO in response to reports in the Sun-Times that revealed that dEscoto Inc. and Reflection Window Co. have been paid a total of $8.5 million out of the state grant. DEscoto Inc. is owned by Federico Fred dEscoto. Reflection Window is owned by Rodrigo dEscoto.
Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/19711841-761/state-cuts-off-money-to-uno-charter-schools-over-insider-deals.html