The Chicago Sun-Times reports this morning on the latest instance of alleged corruption here in Cook County:

The state is freezing $2.35 million in grant money for Cook County President Todd Stroger’s job training program after a probe raised questions about spending and accounting practices at the office.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is also demanding the county program — named the President’s Office of Employment and Training, or POET — return $1.8 million in unspent grant money dating back to 2007.

As the Sun-Times story details, POET has had a history of problems, including:

Its former financial manager was sentenced to four years in prison this year after pleading guilty to stealing more than $100,000 from the program.

And last year, three former POET employees were charged with conspiring with two ministers to siphon more than $2 million from banks and taxpayers for sham training, prosecutors said.

Yet another slap in the face to the county taxpayers who are being asked to foot an ever-increasing tax burden to fund a government that wastes our money.