Todd Stroger's Spending, Hiring Restricted By Cook County Board

The Cook County Board's lame-duck president, Todd Stroger, had his wings clipped on Tuesday, as the Board voted near-unanimously to restrict his hiring and spending powers.

The most drastic new measure, and one Stroger promises to veto, would put a freeze on "any new hires not required by court orders or considered an emergency," the Chicago Tribune's "Clout Street" blog reports.

New restrictions on Stroger all passed by votes of 16-1, with William Beavers, a longtime Stroger supporter, the only holdout.

Recently revealed scandals emanating from the president's office brought about the new regulations. Yesterday, it was revealed that Stroger used a government-issued credit card for a wide array of personal expenses, including hotels and clothing. Last week, it was revealed that he had bought new furniture for his office with taxpayer money.

And perhaps most egregiously, Stroger contracted the public-relations firm of Carla Oglesby, his deputy chief of staff. The contract was for $24,975 -- just $25 less than the amount requiring Board approval.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported at the time that "the county's ethics ordinance prohibits awarding a contract to a business that a county employee owns."

Stroger attained lame-duck status on February 2nd, when he was roundly defeated in the Democratic primary by Toni Preckwinkle. He will leave office in December -- and, thanks to the Board's new rules, might take a little less taxpayer money with him before he goes.