Deborah Witzburg

Deborah Witzburg is an American attorney and public servant. She served as the fourth Inspector General of the City of Chicago from 2022 to 2026. She was the first woman to serve as Inspector General for Chicago.

Early life and education Witzburg graduated from Brown University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology.

Planning to specialize in criminal law in the public interest, she later received a JD from Northwestern University School of Law.

Inspector General In November of 2021 after former Inspector General (IG) Joseph Ferguson stepped down, Witzburg resigned from her role as deputy inspector for public safety with the intention of seeking the job of IG. Mayor Lori Lightfoot selected her for the role in March of 2022, and in April the Chicago City Council unanimously approved her appointment. She is a Certified Inspector General by the Association of Inspectors General.

Brandon Johnson administration Witzburg's office publicly clashed with Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration. She accused the city's Department of Law of hindering her offices' investigations, which led to the passage of a 2025 ethics reform ordinance restricting when the Department of Law can attend investigative interviews conducted by the OIG. In one report, she detailed her office's investigation into the mayor's "gift room" and his staff's efforts to hinder that investigation. That report led to the mayor opening that room up to the public as Witzburg had demanded.

Under her leadership, the OIG became the first city department to reach full compliance with the consent decree, a federal court order requiring CPD to stop violating residents' constitutional rights.

Witzburg had declared her intent to seek a second term as IG but shortly after changed her mind, stating she had "done what I came here to do."

Personal life Witzburg is married to Jay Biedler and has two children. She is a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan.