A suburban state legislator is starting to ask lots of questions about why Metra spends more money on Washington lobbying than perhaps any other transit agency in the country.
In the latest sign of the new scrutiny Metra is drawing since the suicide of longtime Executive Director Phil Pagano, Sen. Susan Garrett, D-Lake Forest, says Metra may not have followed proper procedure in spending at least $3.5 million on Washington government-relations firm Carmen Group Inc. in the past five years.