Another high-profile transit official has stepped down amid controversy
Regional Transportation Authority member Rev. Tyrone Crider resigned Wednesday after he reportedly failed to pay back a $91,000 state loan, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The money was supposed to go toward a youth program but court papers report that's not what it was used for.
Crider's resignation comes after two Metra board members stepped down last month over an ongoing patronage scandal.
Mike McCoy, the Kane County representative on the Metra board submitted his resignation July 19.
"I no longer have the time or desire to continue serving," McCoy said in his letter. "I want you to be assured that the remaining Metra senior management staff are excellent and dedicated employees."
Paul Darley, who represented DuPage County, resigned less than two weeks later, citing calls from many asking for Metra board members to resign, county Chairman Dan Cronin said.
The commuter rail agency has been embroiled in legal problems since ousted CEO Alex Clifford left with a $718,000 separation agreement. Clifford has said he was forced out of the agency for resisting pressure from House Speaker Michael Madigan and others over jobs and construction contracts.
Former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley recently criticized the RTA, calling it a "bureaucratic Frankenstein" that achieves little for the $33 million it spends each year.
