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OIG Releases Fourth Quarter 2019 Report

The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its fourth quarter report for 2019 to City Council. The report summarizes the Office’s activity from October 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. This quarter’s report contains summaries of concluded investigations, inquiries, and other activities, including:

  • An OIG investigation established that a former investigator in the now-defunct Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) concealed information regarding a police-involved shooting under IPRA’s jurisdiction, visited and repeatedly communicated with the family of a police shooting victim and failed to inform IPRA, and sought to refer and receive a referral fee for connecting the shooting victim’s family with an attorney. OIG recommended that CPD discharge the employee (at this point, the former investigator had become employed as a CPD civilian member). CPD discharged the employee and referred the employee for placement on the ineligible for rehire list. In response, the employee filed for arbitration to challenge the discharge. 
  • An OIG investigation established that a deputy commissioner in the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) violated Personnel Rules and the Illinois Criminal Code by repeatedly lying about absences from work, when in fact the deputy commissioner was either in police custody or concealing an arrest for $35,286.12 worth of fraudulently-disputed credit card charges. OIG recommended that CDA discharge the employee; the deputy commissioner resigned and was placed on the City’s ineligible for rehire list.
  • An OIG investigation established that a Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) district manager sexually harassed numerous individuals while working at a DFSS Community Service Center. On several occasions, the district manager made unwanted comments about a security guard’s physical appearance as well as unwanted physical contact without consent, in addition to making sexually explicit comments to another City department employee. The district manager also kissed a member of the public and afterward called her repeatedly. OIG’s investigation found that the district manager had a history of sexually harassing female co-workers through inappropriate comments and unwanted physical contact. Shortly after OIG commenced the investigation, the district manager retired and refused to appear for an interview. OIG recommended DFSS find that the evidence established violations of the City’s Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy and Personnel Rules, place the OIG report in the employee’s personnel file, and refer the employee for placement on the ineligible for rehire list. OIG also recommended that DFSS examine its policies and procedures on the assignment and supervision of employees who interact with the public, especially employees with a history of being perpetrators of sexual harassment; DFSS agreed with our recommendations
  • Other topics of OIG investigations included: City contractors who engaged in fraud, ethics violations, and misconduct; forged and false documents at the Department of Housing; prohibited political activity and misuse of City property by an Alderman; fraudulent use of sick and FMLA leave at the Office of Emergency Management and Communications; a Department of Streets and Sanitation ward superintendent harassing construction crews and providing misleading information; and residency violations.

The full quarterly report can be found on OIG’s website.

Follow @ChicagoOIG on Twitter for the latest information on how OIG continues to fight waste, fraud, abuse, and inefficiency in Chicago government.

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The mission of the independent and non-partisan City of Chicago Office of Inspector General is to promote economy, effectiveness, efficiency, and integrity by identifying corruption, waste, and mismanagement in City government. OIG is a watchdog for the taxpayers of the City and has jurisdiction to conduct investigations and audits into most aspects of City government. If you see corruption, fraud, or waste of any kind, we need to hear from you. For more information, visit our website at: www.igchicago.org.

About Office of Inspector General

The mission of the independent and nonpartisan City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG) is to promote economy, effectiveness, efficiency, and integrity by identifying corruption, waste, and mismanagement in City government. OIG is a watchdog for the taxpayers of the City and has jurisdiction to conduct inquiries into most aspects of City government. If you see misconduct, mismanagement, ineffectiveness, or inefficiency, we need to hear from you.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for the latest information on how OIG continues to fight fraud, abuse, and inefficiency in Chicago government.