Mayor Brandon Johnson’s failure to name a new Ethics Board chair has infuriated good-government advocates who have demanded that he do more to combat Chicago’s reputation as the most corrupt of corrupt American cities.

“The city’s finances are, needless to say, in an extremely precarious place, and we can ill-afford mistakes which run well into the eight figures,” Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said

“Any student of CPD’s modern history can recognize that there have been these groups of officers that have contributed more than their fair share of harm and misconduct,” Inspector General Deborah Witzburg told WTTW News Wednesday.

Those findings were included in an annual report published Wednesday by the school district’s Office of Inspector General, which is tasked with investigating allegations of CPS employee misconduct.

CPD’s inaccurate and incomplete disciplinary histories makes it impossible to trust that police officers are being held responsible for misconduct, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said.

Inspector General Joseph Ferguson, who paid the $5,000 fine, said that while he was disappointed by the board's decision, he had no regrets about his decision to divulge the confidential report.

CPS Inspector General Philip Wagenknecht’s office on Wednesday published a new report on the district’s travel and overnight spending, which jumped from around $300,000 in fiscal year 2021 to nearly $8 million in 2024.

Mayor Brandon Johnson blocked the city’s watchdog from searching for gifts he accepted on behalf of the city without reporting them as required, as required by the city’s ethics ordinance, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said Tuesday.

Mayor Brandon Johnson refused to fire Jason Lee, one of his closest aides, at the recommendation of Inspector General Deborah Witzburg, telling WTTW News that Lee “engaged in no wrongdoing.”

The Chicago Police Department spent approximately 7% less on overtime during the first six months of 2025 than it did during the same period in 2024, records show.

The new database launched after WTTW News reported the city spent $510.9 million on employee overtime in 2024 — 1.5% less than in 2023, with more than half of the total amount used to compensate Chicago Police Department officers for working extra hours.

“There are some recommendations that are coming through,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “In due time, we’re going to release some of those recommendations.”

“Leading this office is not a sprint or a marathon,” Inspector General Deborah Witzburg told WTTW News. “It is a relay race, and it’s time to pass the baton.”

The measure unanimously endorsed by the Ethics and Government Oversight Committee had the support of both Inspector General Deborah Witzburg and Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry after negotiations stretched into the weekend.

Chicago Public Schools hired a former police officer who was on the city’s do-not-hire list after he was fired for inappropriate communication with a 17-year-old girl. Newly released records reveal he submitted false work histories before landing a full-time position at Lane Tech.

“It is great to see the truth come to light after years of false allegations,” Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th Ward) said.