O'Hare Turbulence as City Watchdog Targets Top Aviation Deputy

Chicago's inspector general has opened an ethics investigation into a deputy commissioner in the Department of Aviation, according to a ChicagoLIVE video posted June 9. The brief clip offers almost no detail about what rules were allegedly broken or who the official is, leaving many of the central questions unanswered for now.

What the watchdog announced

According to FOX 32 Chicago, the Office of Inspector General is examining alleged ethics violations by a senior aviation official. The station's short ChicagoLIVE segment notes that a deputy commissioner is under review, but it does not name the person, spell out the specific accusations, or offer a timeline for how long the inquiry might take.

Recent aviation oversight in Chicago

The new probe arrives as the inspector general's recent quarterly report flagged multiple aviation staff for on-the-clock drinking and other misconduct. As CBS Chicago quoted outgoing Inspector General Deborah Witzburg, "These are people who are supposed to be on the clock, working at the airports, and instead they are drinking at bars nearby." A separate recap on boozy breaks at O'Hare summarized the OIG's findings and the discipline the office recommended for several employees at the airport.

What an OIG probe can lead to

Under the city's Governmental Ethics Ordinance, as laid out in the Municipal Code, the inspector general may investigate and then refer matters to the Board of Ethics. The board can find probable cause and impose employment sanctions or fines. The code also spells out how employees are notified, the time they have to respond, and the board's fact-finding powers if a case advances to a formal review.

New leadership and next steps

The watchdog's work now falls under David Glockner, whom City Council confirmed as Chicago's inspector general on May 21. Observers will be watching whether the OIG issues a public summary, sends the case to the Board of Ethics, or triggers internal action at the Department of Aviation. Until that happens, the brief FOX 32 ChicagoLIVE clip remains the only public glimpse of the still-opaque ethics probe.