CHICAGO — Faisal Khan, the city's legislative inspector general, released a report Monday outlining more than a year of investigations into complaints against the city's aldermen.
In his second report ever, Khan promised semi-annual reports highlighting complaints and investigations against the aldermen.
Khan wrote that in the coming months he "will release reports on the completion of several other investigations containing serious and substantive allegations, as well as policy and procedure recommendations as to how to address various problems in the fight to eliminate corruption within City Council."
Khan's work has been met with criticism from some aldermen who have called for the office to be folded in one encompassing all of City Hall, not as one that is solely dedicated to investigating the city council.
In the latest report, Khan said his office received 132 total complaints, which were whittled down to 25 formal investigations.
Khan also wrote he referred 78 complaints and investigations to the Cook County State's Attorney Office.
Although he wasn't named in the report, Ald. Joe Moore (49th) was accused of violating state ethics laws by paying more than $22,000 in severance to fired employees.
The report also alleges that an alderman, determined to be Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), abused his authority by trying to "tamper with" a potential witness in a criminal investigation.
Cases against other aldermen, who remain anonymous in the report, include:
• A complaint filed in April 2012 that an alderman allowed a recycling company to place kiosks on city property despite the lack of permits. The alderman also placed his photo on the side of the kiosks during an election, which is against state and local laws, the report said. Based on the investigation, the recycling company never billed the alderman for the advertising.
• A May 2012 complaint that an alderman asked the superintendent of the Forest Preserve District whether a former intern would be allowed to take the state certification exam for police officers a third time, after failing it twice. The former intern was determined to be a family friend whose family-affiliated business has contributed to the alderman's campaign.
• An August 2012 complaint that an alderman abused his authority by telling a police officer to issue "two traffic summonses" to a man with whom an alderman had a parking dispute.
