UNO hires ex-judge to review charter-school spending
BY DAN MIHALOPOULOS Staff Reporter dmihalopoulos@suntimes.com February 14, 2013 6:39PM
Updated: March 17, 2013 6:36PM
United Neighborhood Organization officials said Thursday they have hired former U.S. District Judge Wayne Andersen to conduct a review of how their charter-school network selected companies to build new schools with state grant money. Andersen retired from the bench in 2010. He is best known for having appointed a monitor to review City Hall personnel practices in 2005, when federal authorities found evidence of widespread, illegal patronage in hiring and promotions. “UNO has made it clear to me they want a best-in-class procurement process,” said Andersen, who is reporting his findings within 45 days. The Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that contractors hired by the politically influential organization under the $98 million grant included two brothers of Miguel d’Escoto, who was group’s the No. 2-ranking official before he resigned Tuesday from his $200,000-a-year post.
