Member Of Emanuel Transition Team Quits Over Ethics Violation

CHICAGO (CBS) -- On the day after Rahm Emanuel named his mayoral transition team, one of its members reportedly stepped down over an earlier ethics violation.

Judy Erwin told the Chicago Tribune on Friday that she is resigning because she doesn't want Emanuel's team to have any "distractions."

Erwin, former executive director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, had previously paid a fine for doing political business on state time.

She admitted using her office phone and e-mail while working on President Barack Obama's campaign three years ago.

The state's Executive Ethics Commission filed a report last week revealing that Erwin cooperated with investigators conducting an ethics probe. She paid a $4,000 fine, stepped down from her post in August, and vowed never to work for state government again.

Erwin told the Tribune that she never revealed the ethics violation to Emanuel.

Emanuel spokesman Ben LaBolt said the campaign didn't know about the ethics report when Erwin was named to the transition team on Thursday.