Chicago's new inspector general faces dicey job

If he gets approval later this month, David Glockner will become Chicago's fifth inspector general, a job that almost guarantees friction with the mayor who appoints you.

Case in point: The last three IGs — Joe Ferguson, Deborah Witzburg and David Hoffman — watched their cordial relationships with the city's chief executive turn sour after launching high-profile investigations.

What's happening: We spoke to Ferguson and Witzburg to better understand the power and limits of the job, as well as their hopes for the new nominee.

Catch up quick: The role of IG was created in 1989 under Mayor Richard M. Daley with very limited initial authority.

• In 2007, though, IG powers began expanding into investigating city departments, sister agencies, council operations, hiring practices, campaign finance, lobbying, the Chicago Police Department consent decree and more.
• Glockner, most recently an Exelon executive overseeing ethics reforms, was selected by a hybrid committee of Mayor Brandon Johnson and City Council appointees.

The big picture: With a roughly 110-person team, the Office of Inspector General investigates potential misconduct, malfeasance and other ethical violations in city government, with the power to compel documents and subpoena witnesses.

• After investigations, the office issues quarterly reports full of recommendations.

Yes, but: City leaders sometimes ignore those recommendations.

• Johnson famously defied Witzburg's requests to inspect his gift closet and fire one of his top advisers for failure to cooperate with an investigation.

What they're saying: "The IG doesn't get to run the city," Ferguson tells Axios. "The IG doesn't get to dictate outcomes. The IG is about shedding light, bringing forward nonpartisan, objective, evidence-based findings that actually should enable the government [to act]."

Between the lines: While city leaders often followed Ferguson's "investigative recommendations" on things like disciplining staffers, he says, outcomes "were much more mixed" when it came to his advice on department operations.

• He would have liked to see those reports at least serve as launchpads for further exploration during City Council hearings.

Predecessor advice: Ferguson served as IG for 12 years and calls Glockner a "superb" choice. If the two sat down for coffee, the former IG says he'd offer some suggestions:

• Be more proactive in the wake of "degraded" federal investigative oversight.
• Revive audits like those that exposed issues with the parking meter or red light cameras.
• Use technology like AI for data analysis and transparency.

Witzburg, who's now chief of staff to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, tells Axios that she simply "wishes Glockner all the best."

What's next: The City Council Ethics Committee is expected to vote on Glockner's nomination at a May 19 committee meeting. If approved in committee, it could move to the full council on May 20.