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The Latest Breaking News from Joe Ferguson

From turkeys and trash cans to gas cards and guaranteed income? Freebie frenzy dominates election season

Decades ago, Chicago politicians curried favor with voters by distributing Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas hams. Garbage cans with an office-holder’s name on it were also a frequent freebie. But, the avalanche of federal stimulus funds has allowed Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Cook County Board President…

Chicago Sun-Times

Ferguson’s plan to shake up city politics is needed to keep elected leaders in check

Any initiative that aims to fix Chicago’s faulty political landscape and the uncontrollable rubber-stamp monster it nurtures with morsels of corruption is essential.

Chicago Sun-Times

Lightfoot not the reformer she promised to be, former inspector general says

It might sound like sour grapes from a man who was pushed out. But former Inspector General Joe Ferguson says “relative to the rhetoric of the campaign, certainly performance has not lived up to” what she promised.

Chicago Sun-Times

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Former watchdog launches venture to study Chicago’s government structure

Joe Ferguson’s 12-year run made him Chicago’s longest-serving watchdog. Now he wants to take a deeper look at the mayor’s office, city departments, the City Council, local government agencies under the mayor’s control — all to show it is “different from everywhere else” and how those differences…

Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago’s new inspector general has no intention of ‘staying in her lane’

“If city officials feel warm and fuzzy about the watchdog, the watchdog is probably not entirely doing their job,” Deborah Witzburg told the Sun-Times.

Chicago Sun-Times

City Council unanimously approves Deborah Witzburg as Chicago’s new inspector general

Now locked into a four-year term, Witzburg is free to confront what she calls the “debt of legitimacy” created by scandals involving two indicted pols: Ald. Edward Burke and former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago Fire Department makes progress, but not enough, toward ending racial, sexual discrimination

Last year, the city’s inspector general demanded changes in policy, training and employee protection. A follow-up report has found only one of five corrective actions recommended in that audit has been fully-implemented.

Chicago Sun-Times

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Newly appointed IG vows to make down payment on ‘debt of legitimacy’ created by corruption scandals

“People suffer from a sort of lack of confidence that the city of Chicago and its government are working in their best interests,” Deborah Witzburg said.

Chicago Sun-Times

Lightfoot chooses Deborah Witzburg as new city inspector general

The overriding question was whether Lightfoot was willing to appoint Deborah Witzburg even though she was chosen by former Inspector General Joe Ferguson, with whom the mayor clashed repeatedly and ultimately forced out.

Chicago Sun-Times

Search for Chicago’s next inspector general is down to two

One finalist is Deborah Witzburg, former deputy inspector general for public safety. But Witzburg was chosen by and worked closely with former Inspector General Joe Ferguson, with whom the mayor clashed repeatedly.

Chicago Sun-Times

Lightfoot escalates war of words with former watchdog she inherited, then pushed out

The mayor criticized Joe Ferguson’s surprise decision to write a letter to senators considering the appointment of former Mayor Rahm Emanuel as U.S. ambassador to Japan emphatically stating that there is no evidence that Emanuel covered up the police shooting of Laquan McDonald.

Chicago Sun-Times

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