Embattled CHA CEO Lewis Jordan resigns

Embattled Chicago Housing Authority CEO Lewis Jordan will resign his post effective June 30 in the wake of questions about his credit card use, according to a copy of his resignation letter the Tribune obtained today.
Jordan’s departure comes after Mayor Rahm Emanuel last week refused to give Jordan a vote of confidence, saying he wanted to wait until a review he ordered of city credit card use at the housing authority and other agencies is finished.
In his letter, Jordan wrote that “this issue has become an impediment to my ability to steer this $1 billion a year organization.
Jordan, who was appointed by Mayor Richard Daley to head the CHA in late 2007, was one of Emanuel's few top holdovers from the previous administration.
In Jordan’s letter to Jim Reynolds, the chairman of CHA, Jordan touts several successes during his tenure, including the demolition of notorious public housing high rises. But Jordan also noted that “over the past two weeks questions about the propriety of credit card use have overshadowed the good and important work of CHA.
“The charges in question amount to approximately $15,000 over three years, were not used for any personal expenditures, and were consistent with CHA and HUD policies and practices.”
CHA Chairman James Reynolds issued a statement accepting the resignation.
“Given the scrutiny surrounding the recent media coverage, I fully understand Lewis' desire to move forward to end the attacks regarding his character and ethics,” Reynolds said. “Yet, I have confidence that Lewis will carry on with dignity, having gained the respect of a great many Chicagoans, as well as a great number of followers across the country who have recognized how much he has done to improve the national perception of public housing. I wish him all the best in his career and future endeavors.
After Emanuel issued the city-wide review of credit card use, he followed it up by taking away Jordan’s use of two CHA cars and the police officers assigned to drive them.
Emanuel has promised to bring a new level of accountability, transparency and ethics to Chicago government. Jordan’s spending habits while heading the agency charged with finding housing for some of the city's poorest residents raised some eyebrows in the administration.

According to select information the administration posted online, Jordan paid for flowers and gift cards for employees using the card.
Jordan also charged more than $12,800 in meals between March 2008 and early April 2011, according to a Tribune tally. He picked up a $1,008 tab for 14 people at Carmine's in March, a meal described in credit card documents as a business meeting with city officials to discuss "supportive housing initiatives and planning in Chicago."