From the Chicago Tribune.
For complete story, http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/printe...ec12,0,6671149.story
By Jodi S. Cohen | Tribune higher education reporter
December 12, 2007
Chicago State University officials paid more than $250,000 this year to buy two copy machines from a company owned by a university employee, a deal that has triggered an investigation by the state attorney general while raising new questions about lax financial oversight at the school.
University officials appear to have violated state and university policies when they failed to seek bids before buying the copiers from a company owned by Michael Vernon Warren, then the university's director of publications and copy services. Warren says he was later forced to resign.
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Along with the potential conflict of interest, the price Warren charged for the copiers has raised eyebrows. The university recently paid about $127,000 for two similar machines, according to a vendor who sold that equipment.
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The copier contract was signed by [Chicago State University President} Daniel in February. The university then paid $251,000 by wire transfer for two Konica Minolta c6500 digital color copying systems and accessories, as well as delivery to Ghana, in western Africa.
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Another Konica Minolta dealer who sold Chicago State two c6500 copiers in July seemed shocked by the price for the Ghana project copiers.
"What we sold, with machines that have greater capability, additional accessories, is substantially less," said Syed Wasey, general sales manager for Imagetec, a McHenry-based company. Syed said his company sold Chicago State two of the same model copiers, with high-end accessories and service, for about $127,000.
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