City Hall wrongly OKed Pilsen tavern The Giant Penny Whistle’s liquor license, inspector general finds

City Hall’s inspector general says in a new report that the Lightfoot administration had no legal authority to issue a liquor license to The Giant Penny Whistle tavern. | Mark Brown / Sun-Times file

A new city inspector general’s report has reignited a debate over the Lightfoot administration’s decision to issue a tavern license in Pilsen for a location where a liquor moratorium prohibits such establishments.

The IG’s office says City Hall lawyers had no legal authority to settle a lawsuit with owners of The Giant Penny Whistle, 1854 S. Blue Island Ave., by granting it a liquor license — without passing an ordinance to lift the tavern moratorium, which still remains in place.