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Cook County IG reports hundreds of PPP loan investigations; commissioners push for prosecutions and hiring safeguards
Summary
Inspector General Terrell Paxton told a Cook County Board litigation subcommittee the OIG closed 305 PPP loan investigations involving county employees with roughly $2.6 million alleged in fraudulent loans, urged referrals to prosecuting authorities, and noted gaps in prosecution and ineligible-for-rehire practices.
Terrell Paxton, Cook County inspector general, told the finance subcommittee on litigation that the Office of the Inspector General issued its fourth-quarter report covering Oct. 1–Dec. 31, 2025 and that the office closed 305 PPP loan cases involving county employees with roughly $2,600,000 in alleged fraudulent loans. "We received a total of 208 complaints compared to the 226 complaints received during the previous quarter," Paxton said, and added that the OIG referred 47 complaints this quarter to county management or outside agencies.
The report, issued Jan. 15, 2026, found 18 of 20 completed investigations in the quarter related to fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans by county employees; Paxton said 16 of those 18 were tied to Cook County Health. "All were sustained, and we recommended termination and placement on ineligible for rehire lists," he said, adding that referral for prosecution is the next step when…
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