Welcome to the Chicago Inspector General's website. We are an independent office dedicated to ensuring honesty and integrity in City government by rooting out corruption, fraud, other misconduct, and waste.

IN THE NEWS


HEADLINES


SPECIAL SECTION: Operation Crooked Code


Statement from the Inspector General's Office

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.

Former Non-Profit Executive Pleads Guilty to Felony Theft; Sentence Includes Year in Prison, $100k in Restitution to City

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.

City Council confirms Joseph Ferguson as Inspector General

November 18, 2009 - Members of the City Council voted unanimously to confirm Joseph Ferguson as the new Inspector General of the City of Chicago.

Inspector General's Office files suit

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.

Operation Crooked Code: Zoning inspector pleads guilty, agrees to cooperate

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.

City Dept. of Environment inspector facing federal charges for bribery

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.

Former federal prosecutor to lead Inspector
General's Office

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.

Operation Crooked Code: City inspector arrested,
charged with bribery

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.

IGO Report Closely Examines Parking Meter Lease,
Recommends Major Reforms

June 2, 2009 - An independent review by the Inspector General's Office shows inadequate financial considerations by City officials, the failure to explore viable alternatives to the 75-year lease as a means to fill the 2009 budget deficit, and it recommends how the City can undertake the lease or sale of public assets in the future using a more deliberative process.

Illinois Reform Commission Releases Final Report

April 28, 2009 - The Illinois Reform Commission (IRC) issued its 100-day report today, recommending a wide range of ethics reforms in six key areas...

Joint Investigation with Justice Department Results in Fraud Indictments for Company Executives

April 21, 2009 - A Chicago grand jury indicted the president and vice president of an Illinois refuse disposal container repair company for engaging in a conspiracy and scheme to defraud the City of Chicago...

IG Audit Finds Waste and Inefficiencies, Lack of Controls at the City's Central Pharmacy Warehouse

February 2, 2009 - An audit by the Inspector General's Office found the Chicago Department of Public Health wasted approximately $529,000 in medications resulting in at least a $365,000 loss; did not account for $639,000 worth of vaccines; and did not properly track controlled substances.