The Fat Cats at College of DuPage (an Illinois Jr. College)

Gift bans be damned. It’s steaks, ribs, filet and crème brulee… for all.

In June, the College of DuPage (COD) lost a $20 million state construction grant because of corruption. In July, COD was exposed for paying up to $27,000 in fees and private membership dues at the presidents shooting club. In September, COD won a national “Golden Hammer” award for hiding $96 million in “Imprest” accounting payments that weren’t disclosed to the public or trustees. In October, COD was forced to publically acknowledge “possible fraud” in the radio station for possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Therefore, it’s mystifying to many that the Board of Trustees and Senior Management Team have instituted zero reform measures- only Vice Chairman Kathy Hamilton has battled for reform. But thanks to the information made available by the Edgar County Watchdogs, we are starting to gain insight into how the elected trustees and entire management/oversight structures at COD have “gamed the system for personal gain.”

It seems everybody who is somebody at COD is on the gravy train.