Two city employees working for After School Matters will be removed from the Maggie Daley-founded charity in early 2012, according to a city statement.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office called the switch part of the "re-integration of programs and staff" to the core operations of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
"There are several pieces to Commissioner Boone’s plan that are being implemented in January 2012," said Press Secretary Tarrah Cooper in a statement, "and it is not just limited to the two detailed employees."
But the Chicago Tribune reports the two city workers handled duties related to After School Matters fundraising, a touchy topic since an Inspector General report suggested that recipients of city financial help were directed to donate money to the charity.
Inspector General Joe Ferguson said After School Matters received $915,000 in contributions from companies that received city subsidies over a 10-year period. Ferguson said neither Maggie Daley nor the charity were at issue, instead pointing to a "near total absence of transparency, accountability" on the part of the city.
Former Mayor Richard Daley fumed over the report, calling it a "personal insult to my wife."
It appears the removal of city employees shows a shift from the organization, but Cooper, in a statement, said the move is just "part of [DCASE's] coordinated strategy to enhance and strengthen cultural programs, which the Mayor supports."
"The City is strongly committed to a successful partnership with After School Matters and the important cultural and educational opportunities the organization provides for thousands of Chicago’s youth," she said.
