Chicago City Wire

Project Six is demanding an explanation from the City of Chicago regarding the termination of a senior-level employee in the City Clerk’s Office.

Documents uncovered by the nonprofit government accountability group show that Jonathan Friend was a senior adviser to City Clerk Anna Valencia at the time of his termination in February 2017.

While the exact reason for his termination is not known, emails reveal possible misconduct involving Friend’s management of a contract between the city and technology consulting vendor Clarity Partners, a Project Six release said. The potential misconduct includes Friend giving internal work product to Clarity and inflating billing figures from Clarity, the release said. Additionally, Friend’s wife, Becky Carroll, who is one of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s political operatives and CEO of Chicago Forward PAC, was a paid consultant for one of the three bidders for a nearly $1 million contract awarded to Clarity in late 2015, the release said.

Documents show that Friend’s access to the city network, email system and vendors was disabled on Feb. 10, and Friend was removed from his supervisory role related to the Clarity Partner contract. Two days later, however, his access to the city network was restored.

Then on Feb. 16, Friend sent an email to city clerk employees implying he was voluntarily leaving the office on Feb. 28. But a letter dated Feb. 21 from City Clerk Office Chief Administration and Finance Officer Charles Watkins addressed to Friend states his employment with the city clerk department would be terminated Feb. 28.

During the two weeks, even after supposedly being terminated, Friend was able to remain on staff, collect more than $4,000 in salary and allegedly resign.

Project Six said it obtained data through Freedom of Information Act requests since the clerk's office has refused to provide them with information other than saying, “Jon Friend was instrumental in transitioning Clerk Valencia into her new role. Out of respect for the privacy of former employees, we do not discuss specific terms of departure from this office.”

“City Hall refusing to be transparent or give any information about possible misconduct or tax dollar waste is unacceptable,” Project Six CEO Faisal Khan said in a release. “Asking our governments for insight into their operations is not accusing them of wrongdoing or corruption; but without transparency and answers to reasonable inquiries, it is impossible to tell the difference.”

Project Six said the mayor’s office has denied any involvement in the termination of Friend. The group also said Friend and Clarity Partners declined to speak with them about the matter.

“Taxpayers deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent and if their government is operating properly,” Khan said the release. “Taxpayers also have a right to know whether any city official or employee, regardless of political connections and clout, has violated the public trust in any manner. If the clerk’s office properly terminated a city employee for possible misconduct, then they should be applauded for their action. But if that employee was allowed to stay on the job – with pay – for two weeks, then taxpayers deserve to know why.”