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State Rep. Wants Rivals' Group Audited for Funds It Says It Never Got

By Sam Cholke | April 22, 2015 5:38am
 Kenwood Oakland Community Organization Director Jawanza Brian Malone said he's perplexed why the state is auditing the group for Neighborhood Recovery Initiative funds the group never received.
Kenwood Oakland Community Organization Director Jawanza Brian Malone said he's perplexed why the state is auditing the group for Neighborhood Recovery Initiative funds the group never received.
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DNAinfo/Sam Cholke

KENWOOD — The Kenwood Oakland Community Organization is facing a state audit of funds the group says it never got.

On Friday, the Illinois House passed a resolution asking the Illinois Auditor General to look into how the organization spent money from the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative, a $54 million anti-violence initiative started by then-Gov. Pat Quinn that is now under federal investigation and that critics labeled a “political slush fund.”

The resolution was co-sponsored by state Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago), who faced a difficult primary battle in Kenwood in March 2014 against the former executive director of the organization, Jay Travis, whose campaign was run by KOCO organizers on leave from the organization.

The organization’s leaders said at the group's offices at 4242 S. Cottage Grove Ave. that they’re perplexed by the call for an audit because the organization never received any money from the beleaguered fund and all of its state grants have already been audited twice.

“We’ve been audited the last two years and nothing has ever been found,” said Jawanza Brian Malone, the director of the organization, holding up two audits that showed the organization was cleared of any issues. “We want to let people know we have nothing to hide.”

The resolution was introduced by state Rep. Frank Mautino (D-Spring Valley), whose district is more than 100 miles away from the Kenwood neighborhood where the organization runs a youth summer camp and community organizing operation.

Mautino did not return calls requesting comment and it's unclear why the organization was singled out.

The organization’s local state representative, Christian Mitchell, quickly signed on as a co-sponsor when the resolution was introduced on March 26, along with two Republicans from the northwest suburbs.

“As state representative, I will continue to support the work of great community organizations,” Mitchell said in a prepared statement. “During these difficult financial times, however, it is also my duty to be a faithful steward of taxpayer dollars.”

Mitchell’s staff declined to comment and referred all questions to Mautino’s office.

Kara Highfill, an issues development staffer in House Speaker Michael Madigan’s office — who said she was authorized to speak on behalf of Mitchell — claimed the organization did receive money from the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative, but could not provide dollar amounts or say when any money was given to the organization.

The anti-violence program has been audited repeatedly and the most recent audit from February 2014 does not list the organization as a recipient of any funds, but Office of the Auditor General has pointed out misuse of the funds by other organizations in Mitchell’s 26th District on several occasions, including $2,000 spent on gift cards by the Woodlawn Organization in 2012.

Highfill said she was not aware whether any additional audits would be requested.

Though Neighborhood Recovery Initiative funds are singled out in the resolution, the request is extended to all state funds the organization has received in the last five years.

“What’s the point of this? Why is the legislature singling us out?” asked Malone, who said the group has used state money to hire youth as camp counselors in the summer and to provide job training.

Jim Dahlquist, administrative manager for the Office of the Auditor General, said the office could not comment on the ongoing audit, which he said would begin as soon as possible.

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