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Caught red-handed on taxpayers' dime?
By Sean Jenkins
November 17, 2009
Fox News camera's caught a Maywood village employee who appeared
to be performing double duty on the taxpayers' time.
On Tuesday afternoon, November 10, the Fox News Investigative Team
video taped Jason Ervin, Maywood, village manager at the Cook County
Clerk's office performing work for his boss's wife.
see link: http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/investigative/double-
duty-on-taxpayers-time
Ervin explained that he had taken himself off the clock around noon to
do political work before heading off for a meeting with the Maywood
Chamber of Commerce, according to Fox reports.
"If I'm doing something that's not affiliated with the Village of Maywood, I
will take myself off the clock," Ervin said.
"That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard," said Andy Shaw, Director of
the Better Government Association. "By that token, any public official
can excuse any political act during the day by claiming he's working for
the public at a different time."
Ervin makes over $100,000 in salary as the village manager. He was
appointed to the position, following an appointment as the finance
director, by Mayor Henderson Yarbrough who is the husband to Karen
Yarbrough.
According to reports, Ervin was checking the petitions of John
Conteduca, a Melrose Park resident and former trustee who is running
for Proviso Township Democratic Committeeman. Also running in that
race is Democratic State Representative Karen Yarbrough. As West
Suburban Journal reported in 2007, Ervin serves as the Treasurer of
Karen Yarbrough's campaign committee.
Ervin told reporters that he works in excess of 40 hours a week and
makes his own schedule. When Shaw asked why he was doing political
work at the same time Maywood Village hall was open, Ervin said
"Because that's when the (clerk's office) is open.... (it's) open the same
time we're open, so I have to take off work to go down there."
But a spokesperson for Cook County Clerk David Orr says the clerk's
office has extended hours during the petition season, including
weeknights and weekends. To that Ervin had no comment.
Ervin also failed to sign in and show identification when checking the
petitions, as required by the Clerk's office. Ervin says it was not
intentional. "Evidently it was an oversight," Fox reported.
Henderson Yarbrough claims he never asked Ervin to check the
petitions, according to reports. Karen Yarbrough did not return calls by
Fox News and West Suburban Journal for comment. But that is nothing
new. Yarbrough did not return calls when the Journal requested
comment on the committeeman using a municipal owned property in
Broadview, rent free, for campaign activities. Nor did she respond to
more recent inquires about her decision to not endorse a candidate for
D209 school board president after banning reporters from a candidate
forum she held in 2008.
Several Maywood residents who are politically connected say that Ervin
might run for a Chicago Alderman job while newly appointed Assistant
village manager and attorney Joseph Ponsetto will likely be Ervin's
replacement. Ponsetto represented Karen Yarbrough in a law suit filed
by Yarbrough against political rival and former Rep. Wanda Sharp.
Tangled political web
The current Maywood administration has long since had a history of
political corruption - people working double duty to serve politicians
while on the tax payers' time- perpetrated by its elected officials.
The West Suburban Journal reported in 2007 the family and political
connections among several Maywood officials:
Ervin's political and business affiliations:
By Sean Jenkins
November 17, 2009
Fox News camera's caught a Maywood village employee who appeared
to be performing double duty on the taxpayers' time.
On Tuesday afternoon, November 10, the Fox News Investigative Team
video taped Jason Ervin, Maywood, village manager at the Cook County
Clerk's office performing work for his boss's wife.
see link: http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/investigative/double-
duty-on-taxpayers-time
Ervin explained that he had taken himself off the clock around noon to
do political work before heading off for a meeting with the Maywood
Chamber of Commerce, according to Fox reports.
"If I'm doing something that's not affiliated with the Village of Maywood, I
will take myself off the clock," Ervin said.
"That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard," said Andy Shaw, Director of
the Better Government Association. "By that token, any public official
can excuse any political act during the day by claiming he's working for
the public at a different time."
Ervin makes over $100,000 in salary as the village manager. He was
appointed to the position, following an appointment as the finance
director, by Mayor Henderson Yarbrough who is the husband to Karen
Yarbrough.
According to reports, Ervin was checking the petitions of John
Conteduca, a Melrose Park resident and former trustee who is running
for Proviso Township Democratic Committeeman. Also running in that
race is Democratic State Representative Karen Yarbrough. As West
Suburban Journal reported in 2007, Ervin serves as the Treasurer of
Karen Yarbrough's campaign committee.
Ervin told reporters that he works in excess of 40 hours a week and
makes his own schedule. When Shaw asked why he was doing political
work at the same time Maywood Village hall was open, Ervin said
"Because that's when the (clerk's office) is open.... (it's) open the same
time we're open, so I have to take off work to go down there."
But a spokesperson for Cook County Clerk David Orr says the clerk's
office has extended hours during the petition season, including
weeknights and weekends. To that Ervin had no comment.
Ervin also failed to sign in and show identification when checking the
petitions, as required by the Clerk's office. Ervin says it was not
intentional. "Evidently it was an oversight," Fox reported.
Henderson Yarbrough claims he never asked Ervin to check the
petitions, according to reports. Karen Yarbrough did not return calls by
Fox News and West Suburban Journal for comment. But that is nothing
new. Yarbrough did not return calls when the Journal requested
comment on the committeeman using a municipal owned property in
Broadview, rent free, for campaign activities. Nor did she respond to
more recent inquires about her decision to not endorse a candidate for
D209 school board president after banning reporters from a candidate
forum she held in 2008.
Several Maywood residents who are politically connected say that Ervin
might run for a Chicago Alderman job while newly appointed Assistant
village manager and attorney Joseph Ponsetto will likely be Ervin's
replacement. Ponsetto represented Karen Yarbrough in a law suit filed
by Yarbrough against political rival and former Rep. Wanda Sharp.
Tangled political web
The current Maywood administration has long since had a history of
political corruption - people working double duty to serve politicians
while on the tax payers' time- perpetrated by its elected officials.
The West Suburban Journal reported in 2007 the family and political
connections among several Maywood officials:
- Mayor Henderson Yarbrough (husband to Rep. Karen Yarbrough)
- State Rep. Karen Yarbrough and Proviso Township Democratic
Committeemen and Maywood Chamber of Commerce Board
Member (wife to Henderson Yarbrough)
- Don Williams - owner of Maywood-based Donora Realty, father to
Karen Yarbrough, father-in-law to Mayor Henderson Yarbrough
and Maywood Chamber of Commerce Board Member.
- Jason Ervin - appointed to the position of village finance manager
and then village manager by Henderson Yarbrough and Maywood
United Party majority vote.
Ervin's political and business affiliations:
- Campaign finance manager to Rep. Yarbrough.
- Campaign finance manager (or manager) to Ed Smith (slated for
Cook County Recorder of Deeds in 2008 by Committeemen
Yarbrough) - Campaign manager to Mayor Henderson Yarbrough and the
Maywood United Party slate of Henderson Yarbrough. - "Agent" for Donora Realty to several Maywood property sales
transactions from 2007 - 2009. - Maywood Chamber of Commerce member.