Mayoral candidate Thomas Hynes Monday called upon Joseph Gardner, deputy executive director of the Chicago Housing Authority, to resign his $60,000-a- year job because Gardner allegedly has ”diverted untold sums of money” from CHA services and repairs into political activities for Mayor Harold Washington.
Hynes, who is Cook County assessor, said Gardner has used CHA funds to start a tabloid newspaper called ”The C.A.C. World,” for leaders of the community advisory councils in the CHA. Hynes charged that the newspaper is
”nothing more than political literature” for Washington.
Hynes` press spokesman, Bob Benjamin, also charged that the payment, ordered by Gardner of $8,180 in 1986 Christmas bonuses to officers of the community advisory councils was to benefit the mayor`s re-election effort.
Helen Colvin, director of public affairs for the CHA, said Gardner asked her to respond to the charges. Colvin said the tabloid newspaper presented what Colvin called a legitimate ”report on what the mayor has been doing for the CHA.”
Colvin said the Christmas bonuses were given in 1985 as well as 1986 ”as a thank you to officers of these organizations who do so much without much other, prior token of appreciation.”
Before joining the CHA, Gardner was the mayor`s chief political aide.
