Responding to allegations of fiscal mismanagement in her "jeans day" program, Clerk of Court Dorothy Brown today produced bank ledgers documenting charitable contributions made with funds collected from employees.
But questions remain about the bookkeeping, just how much was raised and donated and how smaller Jeans Day events are administered.
Brown is running as a Democrat for Cook County Board president.
She said that when she was elected clerk in 2000, she ended the long-standing practice of allowing employees to wear jeans to work in exchange for a small charitable contribution.
But she reinstated jeans day in 2004 because employees liked the change of pace.
“The majority of the clerk’s office employees appreciate having jeans days in the office and feel good about the causes they are able to support through this practice,” Brown said.
The controversy picked up steam this week after employees questioned how the jeans day money was spent.
They said little or no documentation was kept of cash-only donations, and Brown’s office was slow in providing proof that everything was in order.
Money can be donated by cash, check or money order, she said. The majority of participants pay in cash, and Brown said they are not provided with receipts.
Brown says the money raised from jeans day funds two events, an annual employee picnic in the summer and an employee appreciation event in the winter, as well as charitable causes.
Documents provided by the clerk’s office show $11,814 in donations in 2009. An employee whose home burned down received more than $2,800 and the American Heart Association was given more than $8,960.
Brown said 22 jeans day fundraisers were scheduled in 2009. Waisu Fashina, the clerk of court’s chief financial officer, said about $48,000 was collected in 2009 for the three funds. But records show that about $60,000 was raised.
At the press conference, Brown brandished several e-mails and internal documents detailing how jeans day funds should be collected and recorded. But she did not provide the documents to reporters.
Each department within the circuit court can have its own jeans day, she said, as long as it is approved by the executive clerk of operations, Dennis McNamara. Brown was unsure how many smaller Jeans Day events take place, nor how much money is raised nor where the records for those donations are.
But she defended the practice as a morale booster that is administered properly.
“I believe we have good controls in place,” said Brown, a certified public accountant.
Employees who spoke at the press conference said jeans day was a favorite activity among the staff, and said they're disappointed it has become a focal point in the media.
Marie Norred, a court clerk, said she was grateful for the $2,800 donation she received after her home burned down.
"When I lost everything in the fire, I was able to reestablish a household with the money collected from Jean Day," she said.
Carol Martin, a clerk in the child support department, said Jeans Day allows her to help others.
“That’s my way of giving,” she said. “When they came out with Jeans Day, I got to contribute and I feel like I’m doing my part.”
They said Jeans Day allowed funds to go to helping the child of a co-worker get a liver transplant, and to the family of a baby whose mother worked for the clerk’s office, but died, orphaning the child.
Staffers at the clerk’s office noted that the city’s revenue department is holding several Jeans Days this week to benefit Haiti.