Clout allegations cost Chicago official his job

Transportation aide accused of prodding 3 firms to hire his son

August 7, 2010
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter
A deputy commissioner in Chicago's Department of Transportation has resigned under fire for allegedly clouting his son into full-time jobs with three different companies that held contracts with the department.

Gilberto Quinones, who oversaw CDOT's Division of Administration, resigned his $122,940-a-year job effective July 26.

If Quinones hadn't resigned, he risked being fired. Sources said Inspector General Joe Ferguson recommended Quinones' termination for allegedly muscling his son into "three successive" full-time jobs with three different engineering firms holding Transportation contracts.

In two of the cases, Quinones is accused of going to the city managers with direct oversight over those contractors and directing them to "find a place for my kid." He allegedly approached the president of the third company directly, according to sources familiar with the inspector general's report.

Transportation Department spokesman Brian Steele said newly appointed Commissioner Bobby Ware received the report in late July and was in the process of reviewing it when Quinones stepped down.