Finance Subcommittee on Litigation Meeting - June 10, 2026

The Finance Subcommittee on Litigation of the Cook County Board of Commissioners convened on June 10, 2026. The meeting included the approval of previous meeting minutes, a closed executive session, a presentation from the Office of the Independent Inspector General (OIIG), and the approval of various litigation-related items. The meeting briefly recessed for procedural calls of the Transportation and Intergovernment Relations committees.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: Item 261724, the minutes from the May 13, 2026 meeting, were approved unanimously via voice vote. The motion was made by Vice Chair Lowry and seconded by Commissioner Trevor.
• Supplemental Agenda: Item 261706 (Supplemental agenda case disposition summary for civil rights, torts, and government access) was received and filed.
• Litigation Items: Items 261707, 261712, and 261713 were approved.
• General Reports: Items 261714, 261715, 261716, 261717, 261718, 261720, and 261721 were received and filed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public testimony was given. Two registered speakers, Jessica Jackson and Taiwan Sims, did not respond when called by the Secretary.

Discussion Items

• OIIG First Quarter 2026 Report (Item 261248): Inspector General Paxton presented the office's quarterly report.
  • The OIG received 190 complaints in the first quarter of 2026 compared to 208 in the previous quarter, which Inspector General Paxton described as a "50% increase." The office was handling 339 cases during the reporting period.
  • The report identified four programs that did not appear to provide meaningful service to the community, citing weak program oversight and inadequate monitoring of grantee performance. The Justice Advisory Council (JAC) was specifically found to not require repayment from non-compliant grantees.
  • Multiple investigations were sustained, including time and attendance fraud in the Bureau of Technology and Department of Emergency Management, sexual harassment at the county jail, failure to safeguard personal property by the Cook County Police Department, and misuse of work time for personal social media activity.
  • An investigation into an illegal boarding house in the Building and Zoning Department was sustained. The OIG recommended strengthening standard operating procedures for investigators. Building and Zoning responded to the inquiry and confirmed the case was closed.
  • Commissioner Degnan expressed appreciation for the OIG's work and inquired about the follow-through on the OIG's recommendations for employee termination. Inspector General Paxton stated that very few employees recommended for termination are actually removed, but that the office's recommendations are generally followed by departments. Details on a specific case were noted for inclusion in a future report.
  • Commissioner Lowry confirmed that the Building and Zoning Department's response to the OIG's inquiry was satisfactory, requiring no further action.

Key Outcomes

• Meeting Minutes Approved: The minutes from the May 13, 2026 meeting were formally adopted.
• OIIG Report Received: The First Quarter 2026 OIIG report was formally received and filed by the committee.
• Litigation Items Advanced: A series of litigation case dispositions and reports were voted upon and advanced from the committee.
• Adjourned: The meeting was adjourned following the conclusion of the agenda.