A federal grand jury has subpoenaed state records pertaining to the Let's Talk, Let's Test Foundation, a now-defunct HIV-prevention organization under suspicion of misusing state grant money, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Last year, the Department of Public Health and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced that they were seeking the return of grant money they had given the organization.
Though the target of the investigation is unclear—a letter accompanying one subpoena, dated Aug. 14, 2009, says that it seeks "records pursuant to an official criminal investigation of a suspected felony"—the subpoenas appear to seek information regarding questions raised by Let's Talk, Let's Test's high-profile financial troubles.
Part of the funding received by Let's Talk, Let's Test came from the African-American HIV/AIDS Response Fund, which was created by a law signed in 2006 by Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Let's Talk, Let's Test received the bulk of Response Fund money—more than $1 million, from a $3 million pool—in fiscal year 2007, the first year the fund operated. Due to questions about the organization's finances, it received no more money in fiscal year 2008.
In May 2008, the foundation's executive director, Lloyd Kelly, learned that his organization's finances were being audited by the health department. In September 2009, a health department official confirmed to the Sun-Times that federal authorities were investigating the group's spending. Kelly has denied claims that his organization misused state grant money.
The subpoenas recently released seek pertinent e-mail and other records from former health department director Dr. Eric Whitaker, who served in that position from 2003 to 2007. A subpoena dated Nov. 23, 2009 also seeks records from former health department employee Quinshaunta Golden and current Director Damon Arnold, as well as former Deputy Governor Louanner Peters.
Windy City Times attempted to reach Whitaker, who now works at University of Chicago Medical Center; however, he could not be reached for comment.
Another subpoena, also dated Nov. 23, 2009, asks the health department for "any and all records" concerning the African-American HIV/AIDS Response Act; Let's Talk, Let's Test; and BASUAH ( Brothers and Sisters United Against HIV/AIDS ) , another Blagojevich initiative intended to fight HIV/AIDS in Black communities.
Other state agencies subpoenaed in the matter include the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Office of Internal Audit and the Illinois Department of Corrections.
This past December, Windy City Times reported that Let's Talk, Let's Test has also been asked to give back more than $500,000 it received from the Illinois Department of Public Health, and is under investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Let's Talk's leadership had allegedly mismanaged funds, including paying out large bonuses to staff members, the purchase of skybox tickets to a football game and questionable campaign contributions to Democratic state Rep. Connie Howard. Kelly has denied any wrongdoing.
Separately, the health department's attempts to recover money from Let's Talk, Let's Test are ongoing. Department spokesperson Kelly Jakubek told Windy City Times that following an April 22 hearing, the department is awaiting a ruling on the matter from an administrative law judge. She said the department's attorneys "anticipate seeing one soon."
