City of Chicago Office of the Inspector General

February 8, 2009 - The proposal announced today by Mayor Daley to amend the Inspector General's ordinance constitutes a watershed moment in the history of the City of Chicago...

Read the rest of the statement from the IGO (pdf) | Read the release issued by the Mayor's Office (pdf)

February 4, 2010 - Following a joint investigation by the Chicago Inspector General's Office and the FBI, a federal grand jury today returned a six-count indictment against a City contractor, as well as its owner and her spouse on felony fraud charges. Azeteca Supply Co., a certified minority-and-woman-owned enterprise for the City of Chicago, is accused of receiving more than $9.5 million while serving as a sham contractor on numerous projects at O'Hare International Airport and another at a Metra commuter station. Both Azteca and its owner, Aurora Venegas, were indicted on five counts of mail fraud. Venegas' husband, Thomas Masen, was charged with mail fraud and one count of making false statements to federal agents.

News Release from the U.S. Attorney's Office (pdf) | Read the Indictment (pdf)

January 28, 2010 - The former head of a non-profit social service organization pled guilty today in Cook County Circuit Court to one count of felony theft of government funds. Patti Buffington, 51, of Chicago was arrested in October 2006 and charged for the misappropriation of city, state, and federal funds provided to Genesis House - an organization that assists women in leaving prostitution.

November 18, 2009 - Members of the City Council voted unanimously to confirm Joseph Ferguson as the new Inspector General of the City of Chicago. Ferguson takes the position after spending more than 15 years in the United States Attorney's Office, most recently serving as Chief of the Money Laundering and Forfeiture Section. He had worked previously in that division as Deputy Chief and also served as Deputy Chief of Financial Crimes and Special Prosecutions.

November 4, 2009 - The Inspector General's Office (IGO) for the City of Chicago filed an action in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, to enforce a subpoena for documents that the IGO served on the City's Department of Law. The IGO took this step because the Law Department has not complied with the IGO's subpoena, and the IGO believes that the Law Department does not have a valid ground for withholding the requested documents.

Read the Complaint (pdf) - 2.3 MB

November 3, 2009 - A City of Chicago zoning inspector has pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. In exchange for his cooperation, federal prosecutors are recommending that William Wellhausen be sentenced to 15 months in prison and pay fines totaling more than $33,000.

Read the plea agreement (pdf) | Read more about Operation Crooked Code

October 26, 2009 - A criminal complaint has been unsealed against Michael Cease, an inspector in the City of Chicago's Department of Environment. Cease is charged with federal bribery for allegedly accepting two cash bribe payments totaling $1,150 in September. The 39-year-old was arrested following an investigation by the City of Chicago Inspector General's Office and the FBI.

NEW (11/3/2009): Read the Indictment | Read the Complaint

October 9, 2009 - Mayor Richard M. Daley today named Joseph M. Ferguson as the new Inspector General for the City of Chicago. Ferguson has served in the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois since 1994, where he most recently worked as Chief of the Money Laundering and Forfeiture Section.

Read the News Release Issued by the Mayor's Office (pdf)

September 22, 2009 - A City of Chicago building inspector was arrested and charged in a federal criminal complaint for allegedly accepting cash bribes. The complaint alleges Dominick Owens took more than $20,000 in bribes, in return for delivering Certificates of Occupancy for numerous construction projects.

U.S. Attorney's Office News Release | Criminal complaint | More news from Operation Crooked Code

September 15, 2009 - A jury in U.S. District Court has convicted Michael Reese, a Supervising Building/Construction Inspector for the City of Chicago, on two counts of making false statements and one count of conspiracy to commit fraud. Reese becomes the 12th person convicted as part of "Operation Crooked Code", a joint investigation between the Department of Justice and the Chicago Inspector General's Office.

Read the Indictment (pdf) | Read the Verdict (pdf) | More news from Operation Crooked Code

August 26, 2009 - David Hoffman today announced his resignation as Inspector General for the City of Chicago. The day-to-day operations of the Inspector General's Office (IGO), however, will remain unchanged. Under the direction of First Deputy Inspector General Mary Hodge, the IGO will continue its work as an independent body, dedicated to ensuring honesty and integrity in City government by investigating corruption, fraud, misconduct, and waste.

August 19, 2009 - The Cook County State's Attorneys Office announced a four-count indictment today against a former employee of the City's Department of Cultural Affairs. During the course of an unrelated investigation in July 2008, the Inspector General's Office discovered a copy of a $20,000 check, made out to the defendant, Ming Liu. Because the check's signature was inconsistent with others issued by the tourism fund, the IGO investigated further. The evidence was forwarded to the Cook County State's Attorneys Office.

N E W S A R C H I V E S

Shakman Complaint Forms

Do you believe you have been a victim of political discrimination in hiring, promotions, or other employment actions by the City of Chicago? On May 31, 2007, the federal court approved an Accord in the Shakman case that designates the Inspector General's Office as the investigating agency for all Shakman Accord Complaints. These are a new kind of Complaint for those who believe they have been subjected to political discrimination by the City of Chicago in any employment decision (hiring, promotions, transfers, etc.) that occurred on or after June 1, 2007. Click here for more information...