Stroger Staffer Arrested

The Deputy Chief of Staff to Cook County Board President Todd Stroger was arrested Monday in connection with an investigation into public relations contracts.

Carla Oglesby was taken into custody at about 4 p.m. as she was pulling out of a Loop garage, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

"It’s in connection with the ongoing financial crimes investigation conducted by the state’s attorney’s office in to the awarding of so-called 24-9 contracts," a spokeswoman for Cook county State's Attorney Anita Alvarez told the newspaper.

She was charged Monday evening with theft of government property, a Class X felony, as well as money laundering and official misconduct.  The felony charge is punishable by six to 30 years in prison.

Alvarez is expected to hold a press conference following Oglesby's appearance in bond court Tuesday morning.  A spokesperson in Stroger's office said they were withholding comment until they hear what Alvarez had to say.

"It is yet the latest example of the kind of abuse of taxpayer money on top of unnecesary furniture purchases, on top of hiring of individuals like Tony Cole, on top of Homeland Security monies -- grant monies -- being abused under Cook County Project Shiefd and on and on and on," Commissioner Tony Peraica said Monday night.

Oglesby confirmed earlier this year that she signed off on one contract to her own firm, CGC Communications, but said she didn't "steer a contract."

The $24,975 contract is just under the amount that would require commissioners to approve the expenditure.

Oglesby worked briefly as a spokeswoman for Stroger’s re-election bid, a re-election effort that ended when Stroger lost in the February 2 primary.

He hired her weeks after the election as his $120,000-a-year deputy chief of staff.