Emanuel Expresses Outrage At Byrd-Bennett, Denies Involvement In SUPES Contracts
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel says he had nothing to do with the $23 million in contracts that indicted former Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett recommended to the school board, and is infuriated with her, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.
To those -- including some aldermen -- who feel the mayor hasn't expressed enough outrage at his hand-picked former public schools chief over her alleged scheme to collect kickbacks from a lucrative principal training contract, he seemed to be trying to make up for that at an unrelated West Side appearance.
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"It's infuriating given the trust that was put in her that she let people down for her own personal gain when she was given the role that the public put in her to execute the overall goal for the public," Emanuel said. "She was selected to be the person to help lead, and make gains in education. Those gains were made, but she clearly took her time here to enrich herself, and that is wrong."
To anyone who suggests City Hall was complicit in the deal, the mayor had a swift retort.
"I don't get involved in contracts," Emanuel said. "When a mayor gets involved in contracts, you have a problem. I clearly don't do that because I think that's the wrong thing do."
While the city has not turned over all the emails the Chicago Tribune has requested in connection to the contract, Emanuel insisted he had nothing to do with the deal, though his assistants raised questions before it was awarded.
"The staff in the mayor's office did exactly what you would want them to do, which was when this came up, asking very difficult questions, and point to those difficult questions," he said. "It was clear that Barbara was upset about it, because they were calling into question why this was going forward."
Byrd-Bennett was scheduled to appear in federal court on Tuesday for her arraignment, and was expected to plead guilty to multiple counts of mail fraud and wire fraud.
