Mar 3, 2008 5:53 pm US/Central
$1M State Check To Help Church Sent To Wrong Place
Gov. Blagojevich Says Recipient, A Preschool, Cashed The Check
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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The South Side's historic Pilgrim Baptist Church was destroyed in a fire in early 2006.
CBS
Governor Rod Blagojevich says he'll make good on his promise to help rebuild an historic church on the South Side of Chicago.
But CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports the governor's good deed when Pilgrim Baptist Church went up in flames turned into a $1 million mix-up.
When Pilgrim Baptist Church was destroyed by fire three years ago, Blagojevich made a commitment to help rebuild the historic structure.
It was a welcome offer, but the check never arrived.
So is the governor at a news conference Monday explained that the check was delivered, only to the wrong place. It was mistakenly given to a preschool, called South Loop Lab. The school once rented the church's administrative building.
"Look I'm as frustrated as you are," Blagojevich said. "I'm angry about this, about the people who did this, but I think they made an honest mistake."
Mistake or not, the governor says somebody at the school cashed the check, the entire $1 million. But his aides say the school is a legitimate program.
"We have no indication this is not a real program," Blagojevich said. "They went elsewhere, used the money elsewhere."
But aides admit they're still trying to reach the school's director. Tthey sent a letter to 318 W. Adams, but when CBS 2 went there, the doorman said the school uses this address, but it's not open, nor is it operating. We couldn't find a working number.
So where is the school, and where is the money?
"We still don't know all the details so I'm not going to rush to judgment," Blagojevich said. "Whether or not the preschool that has that money ought to be allowed to keep it, that remains to be seen."
The missing million is under investigation by the governor's staff.
The governor is promising another million to the church. He says the money will come from the state's capitol fund budget and he'll personally make sure it gets to the church.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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