In the digital age, it's a common practice to search the Internet for information on potential employees.
So it's not surprising that Joe Fratto, chief of staff for County Board President Todd Stroger, Googled Stephen Hill, who had recently been offered a job as the county's risk management department director.
But the results were surprising.
As Fox Chicago reports, Fratto found that Hill is at the heart of a massive investigation of fraud in Detroit's public school system.
A background check conducted by the county failed to uncover Hill's troubled past, Fox reports:
According to a Detroit newspaper, Hill has been sued by his former employer for theft, he is under investigation by the FBI for millions of dollars in alleged contract fraud, and he's admitted to sexual relationships with co-workers.
In all fairness, this information apparently surfaced within the last few days, thanks to the The Detroit Free Press:
Documents in a Wayne County Circuit Court lawsuit brought by DPS allege that Stephen Hill of Detroit -- director of DPS risk management from 2001-05 -- received luxury vehicles and other kickbacks. Some of the vendors who benefitted were friends or associates of Hill's or relatives of Hill's assistant, Christina Polk-Osumah of Detroit, court records allege.
When Hill left the district in September 2005, he received a champagne-and-tenderloin farewell bash that cost the impoverished school system $40,000, according to the suit.
Yes, you read that right: $40,000 for a going-away party.
It makes you wonder what else the county's human resources department may be missing in its background checks.
The job offer was rescinded Tuesday, Fox reports.
As Commissioner Peter Silvestri told reporter Dane Placko, "It's just a real indictment of the hiring process at the county. You're talking about from what i'm reading someone who has some real serious allegations against him. It's not just a couple traffic tickets on the highway."