HR1190 LRB095 20796 GRL 49485 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, In 2006, Governor Rod Blagojevich promised to
3 provide State money to Pilgrim Baptist Church (the "Church") in
4 Chicago to rebuild following a fire; and
 
5     WHEREAS, In March of 2007, a $1 million grant allegedly
6 intended for the Church was misdirected to the private Loop Lab
7 School, which had previously occupied space in a Church
8 building, but is otherwise unaffiliated with it; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The grant was provided by funds appropriated to
10 the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity;
11 and
 
12     WHEREAS, Loop Lab School reportedly used the $1 million
13 grant from the State of Illinois to purchase space in a
14 downtown high-rise, but has not yet reopened as a school
15 facility; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Reportedly, the Governor's Office and Church
17 officials are negotiating a new grant agreement to provide the
18 Church with the promised assistance; and
 
19     WHEREAS, In the meantime, no attempts at recovering the
20 funds misdirected to Loop Lab School have been made; therefore,

 

 

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1 be it
 
2     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
4 the Auditor General is directed to conduct a management audit
5 of the process involved in the $1 million grant to Loop Lab
6 School; and be it further
 
7     RESOLVED, That this management audit include, but not be
8 limited to, the following determinations:
9         (1) how and when the funds were promised to the Church,
10     and what process was followed, if any;
11         (2) how and when the funds were provided to the Loop
12     Lab School, and what process was followed, if any;
13         (3) what person or persons were involved in these
14     transactions;
15         (4) what internal controls are present in the grant
16     award process at the Illinois Department of Commerce and
17     Economic Opportunity, and whether those internal controls
18     were followed and are adequate to ensure that grants are
19     awarded to proper parties for intended purposes;
20         (5) what actions, if any, are being followed to either
21     recover the misdirected funds and/or determine the purpose
22     for which the funds have been used, and whether they have
23     been used for a legitimate purpose; and
24         (6) whether a grant to the Church is currently being

 

 

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1     developed and, if so, what controls will be put in place to
2     ensure the funds, if provided, are used for their intended
3     purpose; and be it further
 
4     RESOLVED, That we urge that the Illinois Department of
5 Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Office of the Governor,
6 and any other entity having information relevant to this audit
7 cooperate fully and promptly with the Auditor General's Office
8 in the conduct of this audit; and be it further
 
9     RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as
10 soon as possible and report his findings and recommendations
11 upon completion in accordance with the provisions of Section
12 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act.