Another U.S. prosecutor to be inspector general

CITY HALL | Daley replaces his nemesis Hoffman

Mayor Daley has chosen another seasoned federal prosecutor to serve as Chicago's new corruption-fighting inspector general, City Hall sources said Thursday.

Joe Ferguson -- who prosecuted the husband of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Il.) and earned his stripes handling terrorism cases -- replaces David Hoffman, who resigned in August to run for the U.S. Senate.

Ferguson was the lead prosecutor in the Hamas terrorism case against Muhammad Salah of Bridgeview. Salah was acquitted of terrorism activity and convicted of lesser charges, including obstruction of justice.

After the sentencing of Schakowsky's husband, Robert Creamer, on check-kiting charges, Ferguson said the government did not believe Creamer "acknowledged the seriousness of his conduct." However, he said, "At the end of the day, Robert Creamer is guilty of multiple crimes and is going to jail for it."

Hoffman could not be reached for comment on the mayor's choice. He will be a tough act to follow.

During a four-year term that's locked in by mayoral appointment, Hoffman was a constant thorn in Daley's side, earning the nickname "Abbie Hoffman" for the political bombs he threw at the mayor's office.

He targeted corruption in the Buildings and Zoning departments, forced the resignation of the mayor's human resources chief, uncovered $21 million in waste by garbage-collection crews and concluded Daley could have raked in nearly twice as much as the $1.15 billion he got from leasing parking meters by holding on to the meters and raising rates.

The inspector general also struck a Daley family nerve by working hand in glove with the federal government to target the hidden interest that the mayor's son and nephew had in a sewer inspection company whose city business rose sharply while they were owners.

But Hoffman also provided the mayor with a layer of political insulation.

Whenever Hoffman blindsided the mayor's office with another embarrassing revelation, Daley could say he meant business when he promised to clean up the mess caused by the Hired Truck, city hiring and minority contracting scandals.

"He never embarrassed me. You have to remember: I appointed him," Daley proudly told reporters on the day Hoffman resigned.

Vowing to appoint a replacement in the same mold, he said. "The sanctity of taxpayers' money [is paramount]. People work hard. They want their money protected."

Before joining the Senate race, Hoffman acknowledged that his job as inspector general was made more difficult by the political resistance he faced, adding, "When you're strong about your independence, sometimes it will not sit well with some people."

He expressed confidence that the "strong, skilled group" of attorneys, auditors and investigators he has assembled would carry on without him with the right replacement.

"I have a certain level of confidence that things are likely to remain in that independent fashion, but we'll have to see. No one can predict the future," he said.

Earlier this week, the executive director of the city's Office of Compliance accused the inspector general's office of creating a "culture of fear" that serves as a roadblock to creating a city hiring system free of politics.

In 2008, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger announced that Ferguson was a finalist for another job that would have kept him busy: Cook County inspector general.