In addition to duties otherwise assigned by law, the Legislative Inspector General shall have the following duties:
         (1) To receive and investigate, without advance
    
approval of the Legislative Ethics Commission, allegations of violations of this Act and other wrongful acts within his or her jurisdiction based on a complaint. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (1.5), an investigation may not be initiated more than one year after the alleged wrongful act or the most recent act of a series of alleged wrongful acts based on the same wrongful conduct except if there is reasonable cause to believe that fraudulent concealment has occurred. To constitute fraudulent concealment sufficient to toll this limitations period, there must be an affirmative act or representation calculated to prevent discovery of the fact that a violation or other wrongful act has occurred. The Legislative Inspector General shall have the discretion to determine the appropriate means of investigation as permitted by law.
        (1.5) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the
    
contrary, the Legislative Inspector General, whether appointed by the Legislative Ethics Commission or the General Assembly, may initiate an investigation based on information provided to the Office of the Legislative Inspector General or the Legislative Ethics Commission during the period from December 1, 2014 through November 3, 2017. Any investigation initiated under this paragraph (1.5) must be initiated within one year after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly.
        Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,
    
the Legislative Inspector General, through the Attorney General, shall have the authority to file a complaint related to any founded violations that occurred during the period December 1, 2014 through November 3, 2017 to the Legislative Ethics Commission, and the Commission shall have jurisdiction to conduct administrative hearings related to any pleadings filed by the Legislative Inspector General, provided the complaint is filed with the Commission no later than 6 months after the summary report is provided to the Attorney General in accordance with subsection (c) of Section 25-50.
        (2) To request information relating to an
    
investigation from any person when the Legislative Inspector General deems that information necessary in conducting an investigation.
        (3) To issue subpoenas, with the advance approval of
    
the Commission, to compel the attendance of witnesses for the purposes of testimony and production of documents and other items for inspection and copying and to make service of those subpoenas and subpoenas issued under item (7) of Section 25-15.
        (4) To submit reports as required by this Act.

Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 430/25-20

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • State: when applied to different parts of the United States, may be construed to include the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.

         (5) To file pleadings in the name of the Legislative
    
Inspector General with the Legislative Ethics Commission, through the Attorney General, as provided in this Article if the Attorney General finds that reasonable cause exists to believe that a violation has occurred.
        (6) To assist and coordinate the ethics officers for
    
State agencies under the jurisdiction of the Legislative Inspector General and to work with those ethics officers.
        (7) To participate in or conduct, when appropriate,
    
multi-jurisdictional investigations.
        (8) To request, as the Legislative Inspector General
    
deems appropriate, from ethics officers of State agencies under his or her jurisdiction, reports or information on (i) the content of a State agency’s ethics training program and (ii) the percentage of new officers and employees who have completed ethics training.
        (9) To establish a policy that ensures the
    
appropriate handling and correct recording of all investigations of allegations and to ensure that the policy is accessible via the Internet in order that those seeking to report those allegations are familiar with the process and that the subjects of those allegations are treated fairly.
        (10) To post information to the Legislative Inspector
    
General’s website explaining to complainants and subjects of an investigation the legal limitations on the Legislative Inspector General’s ability to provide information to them and a general overview of the investigation process.
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