A top aide to Cook County Board President Todd Stroger was arrested in October for directing county contracts to her businesses and those of her friends. Now, she's back at the till, albeit through a more official channel.
Carla Oglesby has filed for Cook County unemployment insurance, FOX Chicago reported on Tuesday night.
She is unemployed after having resigned from her post as Stroger's deputy chief of staff, a six-figure position she won after Stroger's crushing primary loss to Toni Preckwinkle rendered him a lame duck.
Her resignation, in turn, came just after her arrest at the behest of the state's attorney earlier this month. Oglesby is accused of mishandling a dozen "24-nine" contracts at the President's office, so named because they award around $24,900 -- just under the $25,000 minimum that requires County Board approval.
One of those contracts, for $24,975, went to CGC Communications, a publicity company Oglesby owns. Another went to Arrei Management, a defunct organization that listed Oglesby as its owner before its dissolution in 2008; it also received $24,975.
The state's attorney charged Oglesby with felony theft of government services, money laundering and official misconduct. Shortly after her arrest, her boss asked for her resignation and she complied.
Now that she's without unfettered access to the Cook County coffers, Oglesby is now seeking taxpayer dollars through the unemployment office. No word yet on whether her claim has been approved.