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>>>ED CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL

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SYSTEM IS UNDER FEDERAL

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INVESTIGATION, THE CHAIRMAN

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CONFIRMED TODAY WHILE THE FEDS

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ARE IN THE DIVUNGING ANY

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INFORMATION, SPECULATION IS

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SWIRLING AROUND CEO BARBARA

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BYRD-BENNETT AND HER TIES TO A

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CONSULTEDDING COMPANY.

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>> Reporter: ACCORDING TO TWO

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HELP LEVEL SOURCERS THE

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INVESTIGATION IS FOCUSED ON CEO

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BARBARA BYRD-BENNETT AND SUPES

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ACADEMY A COMPANY SHE USED TO

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WORK FOR BEFORE SHE GOT THE JOB

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AT CPS, THEY GOT AWARDED A $20

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MILLION NO-BID CONTRACT TO

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PROVIDE PRINCIPLE TRAINING TO

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CPS PRINCIPALS.

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THE CHAIRMAN ACKNOWLEDGED AN

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INVESTIGATION WAS GOING ON AND

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DID NOT TALK ABOUT SPECIFICS, HE

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ISSUED A STATE SAYING: YESTERDAY

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THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WAS MADE

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AWARE FEDERAL THORTS ARE

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INVESTIGATING A MATTER AND HAVE

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REQUESTED REVIEWS WITH SEVERAL

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EMPLOYEES.

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WE TAKE ANY ALLEGATION OF

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MISCONDUCT SERIOUSLY AND WE ARE

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COOPERATING WITH INVESTIGATORS

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WHO REQUESTED WE NOT DISCUSS ANY

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SPECIFICS REGARDING THE ONGOING

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INVESTIGATION.

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THE MAYOR WAS ALSO ASKED ABOUT

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THIS INVESTIGATION TODAY.

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HE SAID BYRD-BENNETT INFORMED

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HIM BRIEFLY YESTERDAY BUT DIDN'T

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TELL HIM WHAT IT WAS ABOUT.

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HE WAS ASKED REPEATEDLY ABOUT

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WHETHER IT INVOLVED BYRD-BENNETT

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AND WHETHER SHE STILL HAS HIS

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CONFIDENCE

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>> IT IS AN ONGOING ACTIVE

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FEDERAL INVESTIGATION AT THIS

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TIME.

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AND CPS IS FULLY COOPERATING, AS

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HE NOTED IN HIS STATEMENT.

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AS PART THAT HAVE INVESTIGATION

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BY THE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES, THEY

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ASKED US NOT TO GIVE A LOT OF

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INFORMATION OUT, AND THOUGH WE

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DON'T HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION.

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AND WE WILL HONOR THAT.

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>> HAS THE FBI SPOKEN WITH THEM?

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>> I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER.

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>> DOES SHE HAVE YOUR CONFIDENCE

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NOW?

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>> I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO THEY

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ARE LOOKING AT.

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>> PARIS, MORE THIS PRIVATE

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COMPANY AND WHY BARBARA

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BYRD-BENNETT'S TIES MIGHT BE

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UNDER INVESTIGATION.

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>> Reporter: THE CPS INSPECTOR

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GENERAL OPENED ITS OWN INQUIRY

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INTO THIS $20 MILLION NO-BID

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CONTRACT, FIRST WRITTEN ABOUT BY

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CATALYST CHICAGO AND ABC-7, THEY

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REPORTED BYRD-BENNETT WORKED

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THAT SUPES ACADEMY AND DID NOT

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DISCLOSE IT ON FINANCIAL FORMS.

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REPORTS DISCOVERED THAT SHE HAD

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TIES TO ANOTHER COMPANY RUN BY

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THE SAME PERSON WHAT RUNS SUPES,

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AND BENNETT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

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WORKING THERE WHILE SHE WAS AT

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CPS.

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THE CONTRACT RAISES QUESTIONS

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BECAUSE IT WAS NO-BID.

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AND ACCORDING TO CATALYST

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SEVERAL OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN

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CHICAGO THAT PROVIDED SIMILAR

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PRINCIPAL TRAINING SERVICES.

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>> A LOT OF QUESTIONS INITIALLY

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AS TO WHY THIS CONTRACT DIDN'T

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GO TO MANY UNVFRSITIES IN THE

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CITY OF CHICAGO WHO HAVE LONG

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DONE THIS TRAINING.

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WHO IS THIS ORGANIZATION?

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WHY THIS ORGANIZATION?

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YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LOT OF

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FINANCIAL SORT OF SUSPICION

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BETWEEN THEM AND CPS.

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AND IT IS BETWEEN BARBARA

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BYRD-BENNETT AND CPS.

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IT SEALS LIKE THEY ARE TOO

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ENTANGLED.

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AND ONCE SHE LEAVES CPS, IS A

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JOB WAITING FOR HER?

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THAT IS A QUESTION IN

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EVERYBODY'S MACHINEDS.

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AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE

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INVESTIGATION IS ABOUT, I'M

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THINKING THEY HAVE SOME HARD.

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>> Reporter: IT IS UNCLEAR IF

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ANYONE AT SUPES ACADEMY HAS BEEN

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INTERVIEWED BY THE

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INVESTIGATION.

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MULTIPLE MEDIA OUTLETS ARE

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REPORTING THAT THE INVESTIGATION

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IS CENTERED ON SUPES AND BARBARA

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BYRD-BENNETT'S TIES TO THE

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COMPANY.

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WE LEFT A MESSAGE FOR THE CEO OF

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SUPES AND DID NOT GET A CALL

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BACK.

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>> ANY REACTION FROM THE CPU?

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>> I CALLED THE VICE PRESIDENT

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OF THE CPU, JESSE SHARKEY, HE

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SAID HE HEARD THE SEAM THING,

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THAT REPORTERS HAD HEARD THIS IS

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WHAT THE INVESTIGATION WAS

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ABOUT.

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HE SAID THAT HE WANTED TO HOLD

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OFF COMMENTING UNTIL HE HAD THAT

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CONFIRMED.

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BUT IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE HIM AS

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HE HAS HAD ISSUES WITH THIS

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CONTRACT FOR A LONG TIME.

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OUR BRANDIS FRIEDMAN CALLED

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KAREN LEWIS, THE CPU PRESIDENT

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AND SHE SAID THEY TALKED TO

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BARBARA BYRD-BENNETT YESTERDAY

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AND SHE DID NOT KNOW WHETHER OR

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NOT BARBARA BYRD-BENNETT WAS THE

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TARGET OF THIS INVESTIGATION.

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BUT ACCORDING TO TWO SOURCES WE

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TALKED TO, IT IS CENTERED AROUND

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HER TIES TO THIS COMPANIANT $20

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MILLION NO-BID CONTRACT IT GOT

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IN 2013.

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>>> UP NEXT LOOKING AT PLACES

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WHERE THE STATE MIGHT BE ABLE TO

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FIND SOME MONEY.