Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office has hired now-former Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg less than a week after she left that position.
She’ll serve as his chief of staff, a low-profile position after years in the spotlight clashing with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson over issues with staffing and, in particular, the infamous mayoral gift room.
Her four-year term as city inspector general ended April 24.
“Deborah served the city of Chicago with distinction, and her experience as inspector general and a former prosecutor gives her perspective to lead the office prioritizing efficiency and integrity,” Raoul said in a statement issued by his office. “Now more than ever, the Attorney General’s office is at the forefront of defending the rights of all Illinoisans. I am proud to add talented attorneys to my office’s leadership team at this crucial moment.”
Witzburg also was quoted in the statement, saying: “I deeply admire the work of Attorney General Raoul and his office, and I’m honored to join the team.” But she declined to say anything further when reached by phone.
The one-term city inspector general decided not to seek a reappointment she wasn’t likely to get after clashing with Johnson and his inner circle over a host of ethics issues in the mayor’s office.
David Glockner — a former federal prosecutor who helped ComEd dig out of the federal corruption scandal that culminated in the conviction of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan — was picked by Johnson to replace Witzburg. But that choice still needs the backing of the City Council’s Ethics Committee before going to the full Council for final approval.
In response to allegations it had weaponized city legal processes, the mayor’s office said Witzburg’s office was “using its platform to air politicized grievances in a manner that risks compromising the credibility and independence” of an office that “must remain grounded in facts, fairness and the public trust.”
Witzburg told the Sun-Times the mayor was “reflexively hostile to oversight.”
Johnson denied her investigators access to the City Hall gift room and the Law Department’s demand to sit in on investigators’ interviews with city employees and dilute ethics reforms. And despite her demands, Johnson also refused to fire senior mayoral adviser Jason Lee for not cooperating with Witzburg’s investigation of an alleged quid pro quo threat that Lee made to 34th Ward Ald. Bill Conway in 2023.
In an outgoing interview with the Sun-Times, Witzburg had teased remaining in public service, but didn’t give details on her future.
“I have spent my whole career as a government lawyer,” Witzburg said. “I have only ever intended to work in public service. That continues to be my plan.”
Contributing: Fran Spielman, Violet Miller