A federal grand jury is attempting to do something that has so far eluded city of Chicago Inspector General Joseph Ferguson: Investigate Chicago's $100 million a year duty disability worker's compensation program. The Chicago Tribune reports that prosecutors delivered subpoenas to the Chicago City Council Finance Committee August 3 that seek access to the last six years of duty disability records.

Ferguson made a similar request but Ald. Ed Burke (14th), the committee chairman, rebuffed him. Burke claimed that only City Council Inspector General Faisal Khan may access records stored by the committee.

Burke's office said yesterday that it would give Khan the records but not Ferguson. A Burke spokesman told the Tribune that the alderman has cooperated with the federal probe.