- Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Wednesday he doesn’t know and has never met Gary Solomon, a key player in the $23 million contract kickback scheme that culminated in the guilty plea by his handpicked former Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett.
[...] With Solomon’s fingerprints all over the hiring of two schools CEO that went sour, one of whom turned out to be a crook, Emanuel was asked Wednesday to clarify the nature of his relationship with Solomon, who was indicted along with Byrd-Bennett.
How did he know him? Where did he meet him? Why did he rely on him? And if he knew that Byrd-Bennett once worked for Solomon’s company, why did the mayor not disqualify SUPES and two other Solomon-owned education consulting companies from receiving CPS contracts?
The mayor’s answer was enlightening and unequivocal.
“First, I don’t know Gary Solomon. Never met Gary Solomon. Not a supporter of mine in any effort. So, I don’t know how you can say that, based on the fact that there is no relationship between me and Gary Solomon ever,” Emanuel said.
“The U.S. attorney just finished five months of review. Didn’t talk to me about anything. Didn’t ask for anything from me. … And I don’t believe that mayors should get involved in contracts, which is why I did not.”
Riiiiight. We can only hope that there are (A) wiretaps and (B) Byrd-Bennett sings like a canary.
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