Former DCFS Director Accused of Fraud

The big news here in Illinois is that the former director of the Department of Children and Family Services is being accused of perpetrating fraud at a massive level in his department:

SPRINGFIELD — The former director of the Department of Children and Family Services violated state law by failing to monitor grants that are part of an investigation into alleged state contracting fraud worth millions of dollars, according to two internal state government watchdogs.

Erwin McEwen, who left DCFS last month, also refused to cooperate with requests for a follow-up interview with the office of Executive Inspector General Ricardo Meza. The allegation surfaced in a state ethics violation report made public Monday.

The report centers on numerous violations alleged against George E. Smith, who has multiple companies doing business with DCFS, other state agencies and Chicago State University. Following a joint investigation, Meza and DCFS Inspector General Denise Kane accused Smith of forging documents, presenting false information about grant funds for after-school services, submitting budgets that allowed him to conceal funds, and accepting payments he was not entitled to receive.

We’re not talking about stealing paper clips here.

It was actually difficult to write my first sentence with a straight face. The only reason that Mr. McEwen is a former director of DCFS is that Pat Quinn gave him the alternatives of resigning or being fired. I’m guessing that the reason he was given the alternative of resigning is to enable him to preserve his pension and benefits. Or, in other words, in order to get rid of somebody who perpetrated a massive fraud, Gov. Quinn perpetrated another fraud against the taxpayers of Illinois.

Another Blagojevich appointee bites the dust. However, Mr. McEwen has spent the last several decades in various capacities of children’s services for the state of Illinois and I’ve really got to wonder if he only decided recently that DCFS was a slush fund his pals could do whatever they wanted to with or if it’s a pattern that goes back for years. We’ll probably never know.

3 comments… add one
  • PD Shaw Link

    It’s that time of year where ghost payrolls haunt the citizens of Illinois.

    I believe McEwen forfeits his pension if he is convicted of a felony. I am guesing Quinn was throwing a bone to McEwen to appease some legislator whose support he is seeking, as opposed to seeking popular support from the people with a public firing. I wonder if Quinn is even thinking about running for re-election.

  • Drew Link

    I didn’t really know Quinn before the election. I’ve been watching subsequent to the election. A creep and an incompetant.

    Anyone on the forum vote for him?

  • withheld Link

    dcfs is poorly managed they bother people who shouldn’t be bothered why children that need help die before they are helped they talk about discrinination why do they not help minorities instead of bothering caucasions oh yeah they can sell caucasion children for more money yes thats right they get caucasion kids in the system and sell hem to the highest bidder . hello this means known pedofiles can buy them and the dcfs knows this it’s all about the mighty dollsr

Leave a Comment