Go woke, go broke! Democrat Chicago treasurer who has sights set on Congress is accused
A Democrat Chicago treasurer who has her sights set on Congress has been accused of forcing taxpayer-funded staff to plan her daughter’s birthday and act as her personal bodyguard.
The city’s treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who was elected in May 2019, was accused of running a corrupt office and illegally firing two employees who raised concerns about her alleged misdeeds.
In an letter from December 2020 that was only just unsealed and published by the Chicago Tribune, the public official is accused of having a ‘disturbing conduct’ and using ‘pervasive practices’ for her own benefit.
Conyears-Ervin allegedly threatened staff, telling them they: ‘Should not care if her plans are illegal since the only way they could lose their jobs is if she fires them.’
The city’s treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who took office in May 2019, was accused of running a corrupt office and illegally firing two employees who raised concerns about her alleged illegal misdeeds
The Democrat Chicago treasurer was accused of forcing taxpayer-funded staff to plan her daughter’s birthday (pictured in 2020) and act as her personal bodyguard
The ordeal that triggered the accusations was the firing of two of her top aides under the alleged guise of an ‘office shake-up’ in November 2020.
Tiffany Harper and Ashley Evans alleged their firings ‘violated the Illinois whistleblower act, federal laws, and a city ordinance.’
Before they were fired, the letter claimed Conyears-Ervin told the women if they refused to implement her plans their ‘asses can walk’ and that they ‘will be walking the f*** up out of here.’
Conyears-Ervin believed ‘this is (her) f***ing office and (her) vision,’ the blistering letter from 2020 alleged.
They sent the letter to the city’s Board of Ethics demanding reinstatement. They were eventually given a $100,000 settlement to share in 2021.
The scathing letter, written by their attorney Michael Kanovitz, claimed Conyears-Ervin only sacked his clients out of retaliation.
Conyears-Ervin also decided to hire an ex-Chicago police officer as her private security guard and driver – which was also a point of contention for the former staffers. Conyears-Ervin allegedly threatened staff, telling them they: ‘Should not care if her plans are illegal since the only way they could lose their jobs is if she fires them’
It read: ‘The retaliation is clear, as is the corruption in the Treasurer’s office. The inference of retaliation is inescapable.’
One of the misconducts Conyears-Ervin is accused of is the hiring of Gina Zuccaro.
Zuccaro, who is her political ally, was hired to be an administrative assistant.
She organized her daughter’s birthday party and did her grocery shopping on the taxpayer’s dime, the letter claims.
The letter states: ‘The Treasurer uses her for personal services like running errands, planning her daughter’s birthday party, grocery shopping and the like.
‘The Treasurer also used City resources to support Ms. Zuccaro’s run for the and Illinois House of Representatives seat by allowing her to campaign on City time.
‘This misuse of hiring to obtain personal services and favor her allies is a pervasive problem, extending well past these two employees to numerous other employees and contractors.’
One of the misconducts Conyears-Ervin (left) is accused of is the hiring of Gina Zuccaro (right). Zuccaro, who is her political ally, was hired to be an administrative assistant. She organized her daughter’s birthday party and did her grocery shopping on the taxpayer’s dime, the letter claims
The letter was only just unsealed after the Chicago Tribute fought to make it public
The letter continued: ‘Treasurer Conyears-Ervin engaged in a pattern of disturbing conduct against the public trust, many of which violated the City of Chicago ethics rules as well as state and federal law.
‘Her consistent and pervasive practice has been to misuse City money, City employees and City resources to benefit her private interests as well as those of her friends and campaign supporters.’
Conyears-Ervin also decided to hire an ex-Chicago police officer as her private security guard and driver – which was also a point of contention for the former staffers.
The letter continued: ‘After losing a public battle with the Mayor on this issue, the Treasurer hired an ex-CPD officer to fill the opening of Assistant to City Treasurer, a job that requires financial training and experience which the candidate was utterly lacking.
‘This employee does not provide any services to the office and does not even come into the office.
‘Rather he serves as a private armed security guard to the Treasurer and is her driver.’
As well as this, the treasurer was accused of using city money and resources to ‘advance the agenda of several churches and other religious organizations, many of which support her and her husband.’
Conyears-Ervin declined to address any of the specific allegations in the letter, but said last week in a statement given to the Tribune: ‘While I am not allowed to discuss the specifics of this settlement, I will make a general statement as I take these matters seriously.
‘I have never, nor will I ever abuse or misuse taxpayer dollars and breach the public trust. I treat my responsibility to the citizens and taxpayers with the utmost respect.’