— Federal prosecutors on Tuesday tried to turn up the heat on Dr. Eric Whitaker, a former state public health director and friend of President Barack Obama, as part of an ongoing trial of a Chicago couple facing charges in a multimillion-dollar state grant scam.
The U.S. attorney's office in Springfield filed a motion to have Whitaker declared a hostile witness. Prosecutors said Whitaker agreed in December 2012 to cooperate with their ongoing probe but has declined to meet with authorities since at least last spring. They also allege Whitaker refused to answer law enforcement agents' questions "concerning his personal relationship" with a former chief of staff.
In the new court filing, prosecutors also allege that Whitaker was given an award by a medical association that benefited from $50,000 siphoned from state grants. They contend that Whitaker himself had solicited a $25,000 contribution for the group from an unnamed person to be a co-chair of the event where Whitaker would be honored.
Whitaker spokeswoman Marj Halperin pointed to a previous statement that said Whitaker is "not a party to the case, but he has been cooperative and has been told he could potentially be called as a witness. If so, he'll answer questions truthfully. Because of the potential of serving as a witness, it would be inappropriate to share any further details through the media."
On trial in federal court in Springfield are Leon and Karin Dingle, who are charged with money laundering, mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the state's faith-based initiatives pushed under now-imprisoned Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The government alleges as much as $3.7 million of the grant money designated to fight cancer and AIDS instead helped the Dingles pay for luxury cars, yacht club expenses and vacation getaway spots in Savannah, Ga., and Hilton Head, S.C. Both Dingles have pleaded not guilty and have been on trial for weeks.
In court papers filed Tuesday, prosecutors also allege Dingle picked up various inappropriate expenses using grant funds, including for food and alcoholic beverages before the November 2008 gala where Whitaker received honors, an event held by the National Medical Fellowships.
Prosecutors maintained $25,000 that went to the medical group came from a $40,000 grant connected to Dingle, who later "caused" another $25,000 in grant money to be sent to the medical group.
In addition, during an October 2007 bird flu summit in Las Vegas, Dingle, Whitaker and others attended a dinner and concert at the Flamingo hotel and casino, where Dingle paid at least part of a $1,470 bill with grant funds, prosecutors said.
The state grant investigation already has snared Quinshaunta Golden, who served as Whitaker's chief of staff. Golden, who oversaw the public health grants, pleaded guilty in April to bribery, theft and obstruction of justice.
Prosecutors are pressing Whitaker now because he "has direct knowledge and potentially exclusive knowledge concerning Dingle and Golden," the court papers said.
Authorities allege Whitaker has "refused to answer any questions concerning his personal relationship with Golden," despite Whitaker's signed agreement to provide complete and truthful information.
While overseeing Golden, Whitaker recommended her for a one-time bonus of $8,008 in 2007 and rated her as "exceptional" and "instrumental in coordinating high-level initiatives," prosecutors said.
Golden, a niece of West Side Democratic U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, made $121,116 a year when she left state government in April 2008, records show. Whitaker had left his $144,728-a-year state job in September 2007.
Prosecutors said Golden was involved in the grant scam with Leon Dingle. From July 2007 until April 2008, Golden allegedly steered millions of dollars in public health grants to Dingle through different private agencies, including $400,0000 in April 2008.
The Tribune previously disclosed that prosecutors alleged Golden, 46, and Dingle, 77, were in Golden's office in 2007 when the two got a surprise visit from a woman working on a faith-based initiative who was being paid by Dingle.
Dingle and Golden, who was partially undressed, gathered themselves, praised the person's work and told her to expect a $10,000 bonus, prosecutors said. Dingle's attorneys have denied the encounter occurred.
A spokesman for U.S. Attorney James Lewis and trial prosecutor Tim Bass said no decision has been made on whether Whitaker will be called to testify.
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