Apr 30, 2009 12:17 pm US/Central
Records: Dunnings Bailed Cole Out Of Jail 4 Times
Former Cook County Staffer, Convicted Felon, Yells At Judge At Criminal Hearing
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Former Cook County staffer Tony Cole is now incarcerated at the Cook County Jail, accused of violating an order of protection.
Cook County Sheriff's Office
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Court records show that former Cook County CFO Donna Dunnings bailed Cole out of jail four times, rather than the two initially reported.
CBS
Former Cook County Chief Financial Officer Donna Dunnings bailed disgraced staffer Tony Cole out of jail twice more than originally reported, court documents say.
Cole was fired from his $61,000-a-year county job after County Board President Todd Stroger found out that Cole had failed to report a past felony conviction for writing bad checks.
Stroger forced Dunnings, who is his first cousin, out of her post after revelations about Cole, including that she bailed him out of jail twice.
But court documents Wednesday showed that Dunnings actually bailed Cole out four times, at a cost of $4,000 in aggregate. The bonds were $250, $1,750, $750 and $1,250, according to court documents.
Cole was in court Thursday on a charge that he violated an order of protection filed by a woman he allegedly attacked.
At the hearing, Judge James P. Murphy refused Cole's request to represent himself or hire a private attorney, rather than be represented by an assistant public defender.
Initially, Cole refused to sign an affidavit showing his assets and liabilities and determining if he could afford an attorney. But he later agreed to sign the affidavit, and then the judge denied his request.
As Cole left the courtroom with Cook County correctional officers escorting him, he said to the judge: "This is a conspiracy. What I am I in jail for, for not opening the door? Who are you working for?"
At an earlier hearing, county probation officer Angela Ponder described going to Cole's South Side apartment early on the morning of April 12. Cole was only allowed to leave home for work and school while awaiting trial for allegedly violating an order of protection filed by an ex-girlfriend. To confirm that he was home, officers were required to meet with him in person.
But Cole refused to leave his apartment and began screaming through the building's intercom system, Ponder said.
"Basically, he was cursing us out and [saying] to leave him the f - - - alone," Ponder said. "He also said 'I'm not coming down the f - - - - - - stairs.'"
Stroger lifted Cole, a former University of Georgia basketball star, out of a busboy job at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and placed him first in a $48,000-a-year executive assistant position in the County Building. Soon Cole got a raise to $58,000 annually. He later got a raise to his final $61,000-a-year job in human resources.
County officials reportedly knew back in February that Cole had lied on his application, but he was promoted twice after that.
Cole was mentored by Dunnings, who is Stroger's cousin, and who approved his promotion to the $61,000 job. Some county employees said Dunnings and Cole were in a romantic relationship, although Dunnings denied the claim.
After the revelations, Stroger fired Dunnings, saying he wanted to protect her because the controversy would be the subject of a "media circus" and attention from opponents on the County Board.
CBS 2 Desk Assistant Alissandra Calderon and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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