00:00A city county council committee will consider paying a Chicago law firm another quarter of a million dollars. That's over its investigation into the mayor's office. Now this all surrounds Thomas Cook, the mayor's former chief of staff, who was accused of sexual harassment. The law firm's original report cleared the majority of wrongdoing, but as Fox 59's Russ McQuaid shows us, some counselors are now wondering what they're paying for. This is the contract sets the rules for the independent law firm's investigation into the Thomas Cook
00:29affair. Thomas Cook's alleged misdeeds, according to one woman, go back to 2014 during Joe Hogsett's first campaign for mayor before Cook went to work as Hogsett's chief of staff and deputy mayor. The contract clearly specifies the Hogsett administration and campaign. The Fisher Phillips independent investigation concluded the city had no obligation to review what went on between Cook and the woman during the 2014 campaign.
00:59because they weren't city employees. One of the reasons why Lauren Roberts was so unhappy when she was cut off from telling her story to city county counselors Monday night. Don't put your hands on me. Don't even do that. Don't even do that. Don't even do that. The council's investigative committee got the law firm's report last month and it cleared Hogsett of any wrongdoing when he finally let Cook go in 2020 because he violated the mayor's second chance when more complaints came.
01:29The council has already paid the law firm $150,000 and may owe it another $300,000 to close out the account. But some counselors wonder if there's more to the investigation than the 55 page final report. The council can have every right to ask for that. It's surprising that they wouldn't. The contract covers what is known as work product. The raw material. The council shall have free and unlimited access to the works
01:59at all times and upon demand shall have the right to claim and take possession of the works and all copies. Now it's up to the council's investigative committee to ask the law firm as it says in the contract to provide all the work product that would reveal what was and was not put into the final report which the mayor said he opposed. I support protecting the integrity of the process. The integrity of the process.
02:29And attorney McQuarrie says any information picked up during this investigation could be subpoenaed
02:59for their criminal case investigation at the city county building. Russ McQuade, Fox 59 news.
