(a) Retaliation. No person shall retaliate against, punish, intimidate, discourage, threaten or penalize any other person for reporting misconduct, making a misconduct complaint, conducting an investigation, complaining to officials, providing information, testimony or documents in an investigation, or cooperating with or assisting the Office in the performance of its powers and duties as set forth in this chapter.
(b) Obstruction or interference. No person shall willfully refuse to comply with a subpoena issued by the Office, or otherwise knowingly interfere with or obstruct an investigation conducted by the Office.
(c) Penalty. Any person who willfully violates this section shall be subject to a fine of not less than $1,000.00 and not more than $5,000.00 for each such offense, or imprisonment for a period of not less than 30 days and not more than six months, or both a fine and imprisonment. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. Actions seeking the imposition of a fine only shall be filed as quasi-criminal actions subject to the provisions of the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure. Actions seeking incarceration, or incarceration and a fine, shall be filed and prosecuted as misdemeanor actions under the procedure set forth in Section 1-2-1.1 of the Illinois Municipal Code, 65 ILCS 5/1-2-1.1.
(Added Coun. J. 10-5-16, p. 34471, § 3)