The employees who work at the state-run developmental center in south suburban Cook County include 32 mental health technicians – about 6 percent of frontline workers with that job – three residential services supervisors, one habilitation program coordinator and a licensed practical nurse.
The employees facing discipline sought loans for small businesses outside of their state work. But those businesses may not have existed, or if they did, may not have earned the income they claimed. The state workers who have faced disciplinary action to date received loans of at least $20,000. To receive that amount meant they claimed income in their second jobs of at least $100,000 on their PPP loan applications.
In total, IDHS confirmed that, as of early August, 47 of its workers had been fired, resigned or face pending discipline related to PPP loan fraud. The other 10 employees – five each – were employed at Kiley Developmental Center in Waukegan on the Wisconsin border and Shapiro Developmental Center in Kankakee, in north-central Illinois.
Anders Lindall, the spokesperson for AFSCME, did not respond to specific questions about the OEIG’s widespread investigation into PPP loan fraud by state employees. “In any investigation that may lead to discipline, the union’s role is to ensure that members are treated fairly, the contract is followed and due process is upheld,” he said.