Fired Cicero parks worker, who spoke to FBI, gets $166,000 award

Andrew Schroedter and Dane Placko

A federal jury recently awarded $166,000 to a former Clyde Park District employee who claimed in a lawsuit she was fired for speaking to the FBI about alleged misuse of taxpayer money.

While the park district is on the hook for that payout, the tab for taxpayers could approach $1 million if a judge rules the agency — which maintains recreation programs and parkland in west suburban Cicero — must also cover the attorney fees for the former employee, Laura Perez-Garcia, court records show.
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An elected board controlled by political allies of Cicero Town President Larry Dominick oversees the park district. His son, Brian Dominick, is on the park board and was named as a defendant, as was Larry Dominick, though the elder Dominick was later dismissed.

Either way, Perez-Garcia claimed Larry Dominick was behind her firing.

Attorneys for the park district have asked for a new trial, claiming in court filings, “This case involves a disgruntled former employee, who let a fantasy go to her head. . . . Her belief that ongoing corruption and fraud were occurring within the district is unreasonable due to her complete lack of knowledge.”

In court filings, Perez-Garcia alleges park district officials used agency credit cards for personal expenses and failed to produce receipts or other documentation for various payment and reimbursement requests.

At the center of her allegations is Anthony Martinucci, a precinct captain for Larry Dominick’s political organization and chairman of Morton College’s board of trustees. Martinucci holds three taxpayer-funded jobs, including executive director of the Clyde Park District.

His three positions collectively paid him more than $130,000 last year, payroll records show.

In court filings, Perez-Garcia alleges that Martinucci’s park district credit card was used to pay for personal items at Sports Authority, Toys “R” Us and Jewel. Additionally, he and other district officials allegedly submitted invoices for expenses related to work outside the district.

Perez-Garcia met with the FBI on two occasions in 2012 to report “suspicious and fraudulent billing activity” by Martinucci and others, she says in court filings. An FBI spokesman had no comment. The FBI typically does not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.