Watchdog says waste, alleged hiring scheme plagued mosquito abatement board, calls on members to resign

The Cook County Office of the Independent Inspector General has called for the board of the South Cook County Mosquito Abatement District to resign. | Brian Rich/Sun-Times

A report by the Cook County watchdog found that well-connected members of a taxpayer-funded mosquito abatement district engaged in an alleged hiring scheme that constituted a clear conflict of interest.

The report by Cook County’s Office of the Independent Inspector General dated Jan. 14 concluded that all the members of the board of trustees of the South Cook County Mosquito Abatement District shouldn’t have their appointments renewed and should be advised to “explore their voluntary resignation in the interests of the district.”