Recent events have led the Chicago Ethics Board to address allegations against city Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, following the release of a letter penned in December 2020 by two former top aides accusing her of abusing her office and violating state's whistleblower act. The writing in this case is eerily reminiscent of the underlying question posed in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man: "Who knows but that, on the lower frequencies, I speak for you?" Here, the silenced voices may have finally found their place in the public discourse.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the letter alleged various misdeeds, including Conyears-Ervin misusing taxpayer resources, hiring a former cop to be her personal bodyguard, and pressuring public employees to hold events benefitting political allies. The allegations were swept under the rug for years, with the city fighting to keep the letter secret until Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration dropped their defense and released it.
Upon it's release, the Conyears-Ervin matter was added to the Ethics Board's monthly meeting. The board had received a copy of the letter back in 2020 and opened a case to investigate the allegations. However, they closed it after the city's Law Department settled the matter privately with a $100,000 settlement shared between the two women. Executive Director Steve Berlin clarified that the Board of Ethics cannot adjudicate cases without a full factual investigation from the Office of Inspector General, which...
WASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s years-long campaign to undermine faith in U.S. elections has gained broad traction with the American public, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows, p...