DuPage Housing Authority Ex-Director John Day Used Agency Credit Card For Flowers, Cigars, Gym: Report

Chicago is known the world over for political corruption. But every so often, the suburbs have a way of reminding us that they, too, are not immune.

In a case that seems ripped from the Chicago headlines, the former executive director of the DuPage Housing Authority appears to have used a taxpayer-funded credit card for a wide variety of personal expenses, according to recent investigations.

Allegations of misappropriation of federal housing dollars against ex-director John Day and others have been unraveling for months, but details reported separately in the Chicago Tribune and the suburban Daily Herald this week lay out in detail some of the more far-flung expenditures.

The Daily Herald obtained billing statements showing that the agency card was swiped at local restaurants, flower stores and a cigar shop. It also apparently paid for gifts for members of the Housing Board, a satellite radio subscription for his car, and a $112-a-month health club membership for Mr. Day.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development told that paper that meals and some other expenses can be purchased with agency dollars while traveling. But not locally: “If I went next door and had lunch, I could not use my government credit card for that,” the spokeswoman said, “nor could I use it treat my staff to lunch.”

The Tribune cited a federal document obtained from HUD that laid out more questionable expenses, including "more than $2,600 for cruises on Lake Michigan and a $1,181 tab at a steakhouse for an employee Christmas party."

These revelations come as part of a lengthy investigation that has revealed rampant abuse at DuPage Housing. According to a Chicago Sun-Times story, HUD has identified more than $10 million in improper expenditures of federal dollars intended for low-income housing. Day and Chief Financial Officer Robert Hess were forced out as a result of the revelations.

No legal measures have yet been taken, but a Tribune report from earlier in the week said that criminal charges were coming "very shortly."

Comments

[jonnai]

10:35 PM on 05/09/2011

This a Republican county so i'm not surprised at all by it. If the government was smart they would fire the whole staff. Because they are all crooked in that office.

[stargazer13]

11:14 AM on 04/29/2011

well we can see he did not take his job serious !!

[awckid3]

09:29 AM on 05/02/2011

This is the mentality of more politicians than I care to count. They have access to extraordinary amounts of cash which they believe they can misappropriate without being caught. They would have you to believe they're in it for the public good when truth be told, nothing could be further from the truth.

[Aldyth]

08:43 AM on 04/29/2011

With unemployment being as high as it is, there are people on waiting lists for years and years, hoping to get into public housing or get a section eight subsidy.

Instead, some of that money went up in smoke.

Throw the book at him. Anything other than significant jail time sets the example for others that crime does pay.

[Howard53545]

05:31 AM on 04/29/2011

A mighty fine use of govt money, much better than using it to build more drones.

[MtnGeek]

10:13 AM on 04/29/2011

But, not nearly as good a use as building more homes.

[gravit8]

10:27 AM on 04/29/2011

But not even close to being as good as FILLING THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF EMPTY HOMES OWNED BY BANKS.

[exile]

02:59 AM on 04/29/2011

yeah
try some other city like ny

[portfolio]

10:29 PM on 04/28/2011

gotta love Chicago

[roald]

09:06 AM on 05/02/2011

Nice to see that this took place in the predominantly Republican DuPage county. When any political party has most of the power for too long, its members start seeing their positions as rights and not as means to serve the public.

[awckid3]

09:31 AM on 05/02/2011

Not my kind of town.

[missmanners]

08:54 PM on 04/28/2011

Same as embezzlement to me.

[aosborneh2o]

07:58 PM on 04/28/2011

Housing Authorities are outdated wastes of taxpayer money that simply add an additional layer of administrative cost and burden. Low Income Housing and Vouchers should be handled by local governments using much of their existing infrastructure, particularly IT and Accounting for example. In fact, many towns, cities, and counties have their own housing departments on top of the local Housing Authority, making much of what they do redundant administrative cost.

[kirithewonderdog]

07:55 PM on 04/28/2011

Hey, DuPage is solid GOP land. Why would anyone be surprised that GOP officials in DuPage County would pass up an opportunity to stick in to the poor?

[realitycheck101a]

06:54 PM on 04/28/2011

There's a discrepency btwn the 2 photos used for this article. The picture above shows an African American with a lit cigar. Yet the photo in the articles slideshow is of a Caucasian blocking out his/her face from the camera. Wrong is wrong, no matter what race. I only bring it up due to the fact that many people are posting so many racist comments. The photo above could be very misleading.

[bluecollaramerican]

05:33 PM on 04/28/2011

Cook County type corruption in DuPage County? I thought the people in DuPage were a cut above all that. Startling!