By John Dodge
Filed Under:Chicago Board of Education, Chicago Public Schools, CPS, Craig Dellimore, David Vitale, Federal Investigation, Rahm Emanuel

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) — Chicago Public Schools is the target of a federal investigation, officials acknowledged on Wednesday.

The specific nature of the investigation is not known, but CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov has learned that CPS CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett is a focus of the probe.

Federal authorities have requested interviews with several workers, Chicago School Board President David Vitale confirmed.

“Yesterday the Board of Education was made aware that federal authorities are investigating a matter at CPS and have requested interviews with several employees,” Vitale said in a statement.

“We take any allegation of misconduct seriously, and we are fully cooperating with investigators who requested that we not discuss any specifics regarding the ongoing investigation.”

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said he knows almost nothing about what the feds are investigating, only that a probe is underway.

The mayor said CPS officials are cooperating with federal authorities, but he fended off questions about specifics.

“You have an ongoing federal investigation. They don’t share a lot of information while they’re gathering information. You want information. I’m the only person you can talk to. I don’t have the information,” he said.

Asked if he has full confidence in Bennett, the mayor said he has no idea who the feds are targeting, or why, so he can’t say anything.