HISTORY OF THE OFFICE
Prior to the IGO, the City of Chicago had a long and varied history of internal investigative offices. It began in 1956, when the Department of Investigation was established. In the late 1970's, as a result of the Mirage Scandal (where an undercover investigation conducted by the Chicago Sun-Times and the Better Government Association found numerous inspectors and other City employees accepting bribes from the owners of a tavern), the Office of Professional Review was established. Then, on January 1, 1981, the Office of Professional Review was changed to the Office of Municipal Investigations. Among the common features of these offices were that the commissioner or director of each of these offices served at the pleasure of the Mayor, and none of these offices had subpoena power.
To correct these limitations on investigative independence and effectiveness, the ordinance establishing the IGO contains various provisions to ensure the independence of the IGO. The ordinance establishing the IGO called for an Inspector General appointed by the Mayor and subject to the approval of the City Council. The Inspector General is appointed to a four-year term and can only be removed "for cause," following: (a) written notice by the Mayor to the City Council of his intent to remove the inspector General and (b) written notice to the Inspector General of the cause for the Mayor's intended removal of the Inspector General. Within ten days of receipt of the notice, the Inspector General may file with the City Council a request for a hearing on the cause for removal. The City Council would then convene a hearing on the cause for removal of the Inspector General. The Inspector General could then only be removed for cause if a majority of the members of the City Council voted to remove him. The ordinance establishing the IGO also forbids the Inspector General or any employee of the IGO from engaging in political activity.
Additionally, the ordinance creating the IGO provided for investigative powers previously denied to prior City internal investigative agencies. The Inspector General has the power to issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses for purposes of examination and the production of documents and other items for inspection and/or duplication.
Furthermore, the ordinance establishing the IGO deems that it shall be the duty of every officer, employee, department, agency, contractor, subcontractor and licensee of the City and every applicant for certification of eligibility for a City contract or program, to cooperate with the Inspector General in any investigation or hearing undertaken. Likewise, every City contract and every bid, proposal, application, or solicitation for a City contract, and every application for certification of eligibility for a City contract or program must contain a statement that the person understands and will abide by all provisions of the ordinance establishing the IGO.