Stories by Heather Cherone

Lauren Maniatis, 43, is no longer an employee of the board, which is responsible for enforcing the city’s ethics laws, records show.

In all, 17 members of the Chicago Police Department have faced termination for allegedly defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program of a total of approximately $517,000, according to reports released by the Office of the Inspector General.

The total cost of defending and resolving 32 lawsuits naming Guevara, who has been repeatedly accused of falsifying police reports, framing suspects and coercing witnesses, is now $472.8 million, according to a WTTW News analysis.

The Chicago City Council failed by one vote Wednesday to override Mayor Brandon Johnson’s veto of a measure that would have required at least 30 alderpeople to approve any plan to borrow more money.

The retirement of Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling poses “a test for the CPD to show that its reforms are now built into how it operates,” said Maggie Hickey, the attorney who leads the monitoring team that reports to U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer.

While the Civilian Office of Police Accountability recommended that Officer Jose Rodriguez be suspended for less than three months, former CPD Supt. Larry Snelling overruled that recommendation, finding that he should be fired.

After a three-week trial, a Cook County jury determined that the fatal injuries suffered by Dominga Flores Gomez, who was survived by five children and eight grandchildren, were the fault of the driver who refused to stop for police, records show.

Officer John Kaporis “blatantly and repeatedly used vulgar homophobic and racist language, despite policy dictating that supervisors may randomly audit these videos,” the Civilian Office of Police Accountability concluded.

“Neighborhoods with the greatest infrastructure needs should not face additional barriers to securing essential public investment,” Mayor Brandon Johnson wrote in his official veto measure. “Delaying infrastructure projects can increase construction costs, worsen deterioration and ultimately cost taxpayers more.”

Drivers blocking bicycle and bus lanes racked up nearly $4.5 million in fines since November 2024, when an effort to use automated cameras to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians launched downtown, according to city data.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city would refinance bonds backed by the city’s sales tax revenues that are at least 10 years old to generate between $65 million and $71 million. But that refinancing generated just $36 million, officials said.

To date, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability has determined members of that tactical team violated department policy during 23 separate traffic stops, according to a WTTW News analysis of COPA records.

CPD has exceeded its annual overtime budget for the 10th straight year, despite repeated promises from Mayor Brandon Johnson to reign in police overtime spending, according to a database published by Inspector General David Glockner.

“This budget magic … we’re only able to do this once,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. “We are sweeping the cupboards bare. Once you’ve done that, you have to look for other resources.”

The majority of the officers found to have used racial slurs were suspended for less than a month, according to Chicago’s watchdog.

It has already cost Chicago taxpayers at least $206 million to defend and settle 16 lawsuits naming former Chicago Police Department Detective Reynaldo Guevara, records show.

Chicago taxpayers should pay more than $260.8 million to 17 men who spent more than 383 years in prison after they were coerced into confessing to crimes by a disgraced former Chicago police detective, city lawyers recommended.

Chicago taxpayers have already spent at least $52 million since the start of 2026 to settle nine lawsuits brought by people who were injured or on behalf of those killed during police pursuits, according to an analysis of city data by WTTW News.

Here’s a breakdown of what it means that New York-based Stonepeak Partners is set to become the new owner of the city’s more than 36,000 meters.

Chicago’s finances have long been out of whack, pinched by soaring pension costs, spiraling personnel costs and a massive amount of debt.

When Jamie Rhee retired in April 2025 after nearly seven years as the commissioner of the Department of Aviation, serving three mayors, she was the city of Chicago’s highest paid employee, records show.

Applicants include current and former members of the Chicago Police Department, as well as candidates from outside of CPD, according to the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.

More than a dozen progressive members of the City Council said they would not vote in favor of the deal unless the firm sold Omni Air, threatening the completion of the deal involving the city’s 36,000 parking meters.

It is unclear why the probe into the April 2021 shooting took more than five years to complete.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability determined that not only did Officer Alberto Rodriguez assault his 19-year-old girlfriend but he also held her against her will, conclusions endorsed by former Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling.

In all, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability has determined members of that tactical team violated department policy during 22 separate traffic stops, according to a WTTW News analysis of COPA records.