Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan (now U.S. Secretary of Education) and SALF founder/president Carol J. Spizzirri. According to the San Diego Reader, Duncan called Spizzirri -- a twice-convicted adult shoplifter who claimed non-existent medical and education credentials, and whose daughter took out a protective order against her -- "one of my heroes."

The $174,000 skeleton in Arne Duncan's closet by Peter M. Heimlich

When he headed the Chicago Public Schools, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan personally arranged a $174,000 contract for the Save-A-Life Foundation (SALF) to provide first aid training classes for 18,000 students from 2004-06. $49,000 came from the Chicago Public Schools and $125,000 came from Ronald McDonald House Charities. But the schools have no records that any training ever happened -- just invoices and payments signed-off for by Duncan.

Since then, SALF has been the subject of dozens of broadcast and print media exposes and the now-defunct organization is reportedly under investigation by the IL Attorney General for the "possible $9 million misappropriation" of federal and state funds.

Duncan has repeatedly ignored reasonable questions about his relationship to SALF and the $174,000 contract.

On January 5, 2011, I submitted this thoroughly-documented request to CPS Inspector General James Sullivan to investigate what happened to the money CPS paid SALF: