Chicago City Wire

The Governor’s Office of Executive Inspector General recently concluded an investigation of a complaint alleging preferential treatment by the former Manager of Support Services at the Department of Employment Security Marlene Meriwether and General Services Manager John Rogers. The Executive Inspector said it found both employees mismanaged a contract through Seville Staffing Solutions by failing to supervise and monitor all of the staffing firm’s employees and allowing excessive amounts of overtime.

The Executive Inspector General recommended the findings of its investigation be placed in Rogers and Meriwether’s personal file, and that the Illinois Department of Employment Security reviews its overtime policy. The department of employment security said it implemented both of the recommendations.

The Executive Inspector General’s investigation stems from a complaint alleging preferential treatment by Meriwether from September 2016 to April 2017. The complaint alleged four employees that worked at two Employment Security offices received pay for overtime they did not work. The complaint alleges the four employees were required to pick up and drop off Meriwether from the location she parked her car in vehicles owned by the Department of Employment Security every day.

Meriwether, who retired in December 2016, worked at the Department of Employment Security for over 45 years. She was then appointed to three 75-day temporary appoints from February 2017 to October 2018.

The Executive Inspector concluded its report by stating that "there is insufficient evidence to conclude that Meriwether abused state resources by having Seville employees use a state vehicle to deliver her to and from her personal vehicle."

Seville Staffing is a temporary staffing contractor for light industrial and skilled manufacturing workers that entered a contract with the Department of Employment Security in October 2016. The office of the Executive Inspector said overtimes were on average almost $300,000 for each full year – 33% of the total contract value with Employment Security.