§ 20-95 — Exemptions

(a) Documents generated by an ethics officer under this Act, except Section 5-50, are exempt from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. (b) Any allegations and related documents submitted to an Executive Inspector General and any pleadings and related documents brought before the Executive Ethics Commission are exempt from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act so long as the Executive Ethics Commission does not make a finding of a violation of this Act. If the Executive Ethics Commission finds that a violation has occurred, the entire record of proceedings before the Commission, the decision and recommendation, and the response from the agency head or ultimate jurisdictional authority to the Executive Ethics Commission are not exempt from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act but information contained therein that is otherwise exempt from the Freedom of Information Act must be redacted before disclosure as provided in the Freedom of Information Act. A summary report released by the Executive Ethics Commission under Section 20-52 is a public record, but information redacted by the Executive Ethics Commission shall not be part of the public record. (c) Meetings of the Commission are exempt from the provisions of the Open Meetings Act. (d) Unless otherwise provided in this Act, all investigatory files and reports of the Office of an Executive Inspector General, other than monthly reports required under Section 20-85, are confidential and privileged, are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, and shall not be divulged to any person or agency, except as necessary (i) to a law enforcement authority, (ii) to the ultimate jurisdictional authority, (iii) to the Executive Ethics Commission, (iv) to another Inspector General appointed pursuant to this Act, or (v) to an Inspector General appointed or employed by a Regional Transit Board in accordance with Section 75-10.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 102-664, eff. 1-1-22 .)