This is another story where Hales claims the Coliseum had CLEAN audits:  http://ilnews.org/9870/financial-probe-of-coliseums-former-manager-may-involve-concession-money/

They weren’t clean, concessions were NEVER audited, and Hales refused to protect taxpayer money.

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By:  Diane Benjamin

According to this September 12th Pantagraph article, City Manager David Hales claims the Coliseum audits have always received a clean opinion:  http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/state-police-city-investigating-coliseum-operations/article_6e1ae325-da35-5573-845a-454e9b4c8031.html

David Hales KNOWS audits are not intended to detect fraud.  Dixon Illinois had “clean” audits, and Rita Crundwell still managed to steal over $50,000,000!

Hales also states the Coliseum was audited every year.   It was – EXCEPT for concessions and catering.  Why was that David?  In 2013 and 2014 Concession Sales were over $1,200,000 a year.  That wasn’t worth auditing David?  In 2015 sales dropped to less than $800,000.  Did you bother to find out why?  Please, don’t blame the parking garage problems.  It never held enough vehicles for events, so it’s closure didn’t have had a huge effect.

“Circle back” to those clean audits Hales claims.  Since the Pantagraph never investigates what is said to them, see this less-than-“clean” audit report from 2014:

Back in the days when the media believed and reported the statements CIAM issued as fact, they were reporting fiction!  CIAM stretched the truth to look better.  This report can be found here – PDF page 19: http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=7481

I’ve done MANY stories in the last few years showing what CIAM reported and what the auditors reported.  Here’s one from 2014 where I was already calling for the City to not renew the CIAM contract:  https://blnnews.com/2014/11/01/coliseum-what-the-auditor-says/

Bottom line:  The CIAM statements weren’t accurate.  The audited reports showing much bigger losses never made the news.  Add that concessions were NEVER audited, and David Hales, Tari Renner, and the Council should have known there were severe problems with CIAM.

Would any investigation have happened if I hadn’t been reporting since 2013 and filed a lawsuit?  The City did nothing but bury the facts for almost 10 years, would they have suddenly woke up?

Don’t forget:  The City was ready to re-sign CIAM when their contract expired.

It was CIAM who backed out!

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