Chicago City Council doesnt want it to be easy to investigate themselves for alleged crimes!!! Hey, there is one set of standards for our royal govenrment rulers and a second set of standards for us serfs!!!! the office would not be able to start investigations into aldermen based on anonymous complaints chicagotribune/news/local/politics/chi-chicago-city-council-backs-watchdog-swap-with-a-string-attached-20140910-story.html Chicago City Council backs watchdog swap --- with a string attached By Hal Dardick, Bill Ruthhart contact the reporters More than two-thirds of the Chicago City Council is on board with a plan to give the city’s top watchdog the power to investigate aldermen — with at least one string attached. Inspector General Joseph Ferguson would get the same powers he now has to look at allegations of wrongdoing in Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration, except the office would not be able to start investigations into aldermen based on anonymous complaints. The proposal had the mayor and several aldermen lauding the long-stalled reform. While some aldermen said Ferguson had agreed to the plan, the inspector general was noticeably silent Wednesday. The proposal is still being reviewed and Ferguson will have no comment “at this time,” a spokeswoman said. In addition, some council members said they were not sure all 35 aldermen who sponsored the measure would stick with it, making its final form and fate uncertain. Two of the council’s most influential aldermen — Finance Committee Chairman Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, and Budget Committee Chairman Ald. Carrie Austin, 34th — did not sign on as sponsors. The City Council scrambled to act a little more than a month after aldermen overwhelmingly decided against giving Legislative Inspector General Faisal Khan the ability to initiate his own investigations into council members’ campaign finances. That decision was pushed by 40th Ward Ald. Patrick O’Connor, the mayor’s council floor leader, as Khan’s office had begun investigating him, the Tribune reported. “Why is it coming to a head now? Frankly, I think it’s because of the actions back in July when the City Council worked to deprive this legislative inspector general of the investigative authority he needs,” said Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd. “The press called foul, as they should have, and I think some of my colleagues are looking to gain some political cover.” Emanuel listed reform initiatives, including a proposal made Wednesday to extend Ferguson’s authority to the Public Building Commission, that he said “set a clear and unambiguous message and tone.” “It’s not about whether you have an inspector general anymore,” Emanuel said, noting decades of resistance to the concept. “That used to be the culture of the City Council. It’s which office (will investigate aldermen), and that’s a dramatic change from past history in the city.” Under the proposal, the inspector general would have to have a signed complaint to investigate aldermen or Ferguson could initiate any investigation he deemed appropriate by signing his own complaint, aldermen said. Ferguson, however, would be allowed to start investigations of aldermanic staff based on anonymous complaints. Despite the limitations, Ferguson would have more authority to investigate aldermen than Khan, who must get a signed and sworn complaint and approval from the Board of Ethics to proceed. Khan also must notify the alderman that he is being investigated. Ferguson would need no prior approval and does not have to notify the alderman, according to the ordinance. The proposed ordinance also would give Ferguson a guaranteed minimum level of funding, the authority to hire his own staff without Human Resources Department approval and probe city lobbyists and people seeking council contracts. The plan was enough to ward off an attempt by several aldermen who are members of the Progressive Caucus to force a vote on their own proposals for strengthening the powers of the inspector general. What remains uncertain is what happens to Khan’s office should this measure become law. Under the new proposal, the authority for Khan’s office would be removed from city code, and he would be required to turn over his files and case summaries to Ferguson. But the current legislative inspector general ordinance says Khan can only be removed “for cause” — meaning some kind of misconduct during his four-year term, which ends in November 2015. “Doors still open: Until a law says otherwise, the office of the legislative inspector general will continue operation to fulfill its mandate — investigating allegations of misconduct by aldermen and their staff,” Khan said in a statement. Khan recently told the Tribune editorial board that he has referred potential criminal violations by aldermen to county, state and federal prosecutors. He also said he would “look forward to” a power shift from his office to Ferguson’s — if Ferguson got the same authority over the council as he does the rest of City Hall. hdardick@tribune bruthhart@tribune
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:46:02 +0000
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