Complaints pertaining to fraud, misconduct, and public waste in Illinois warrant an ethics investigation. Claims related to violations of the Illinois State Officials and Employees Ethics Act are supposed to be filed at the Office of Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OEIG).
Illinois Ethics Investigation Conditions
For an Illinois Ethics Investigation to be initiated, the complaint raised must be related to the conduct of employees of state agencies, boards, commissions, or public universities. Ethics investigations can also be initiated against individuals or entities that are doing business with state agencies or employees within the jurisdiction of OEIG.
If you file a complaint, you must prove that there are reasonable grounds to show that the allegation you are reporting is true. Anyone who files a complaint is also required to provide sufficient evidence concerning the allegation for an Illinois ethics investigation to start.
Your complaint won’t be investigated if it is unrelated to the jurisdiction of the OEIG. For instance, the organization can refuse to investigate complaints from Illinois state employees who are simply dissatisfied with their supervisors at work or a performance rating.
Violations that can be investigated by the ethics commission include fraud, abuse of authority, theft of public property, improper time reporting, and misuse of state property. You can file a complaint in writing or orally. Written complaints are supposed to be submitted after filling out the OEIG complaint form.
You can also make an oral complaint by calling OEIG’s toll-free hotline. Complaints can similarly be filed at OEIG’s offices in Chicago or Springfield. Most public institutions in Illinois also have an ethics desk where you can report violations of the Illinois Ethics Act by employees.
You can only make a complaint that pertains to the official conduct of such entities or their employees. Your confidentiality and anonymity needs to be guaranteed regardless of whether you are filing a complaint in good faith or because you were denied a public service as a result of a violation.
Working with a Lawyer
It is advisable that you file a complaint with the help of your lawyer. This will ensure that the reported concern is not only addressed promptly but also professionally and discretely. HKM Employment Attorneys is there to help you make an ethics violation complaint not only in Illinois but throughout the U.S.
