ETHICS CHIEF RIPS ALDERMEN OVER ‘ UNHEALTHY SECRECY’
The chairman of Chicago’s reinvigorated Board of Ethics on Tuesday accused aldermen of injecting a “very unhealthy secrecy into government for a privileged few” by changing the definition of “city employees” to exclude independent contractors.
At the behest of Ald. Leslie Hairston ( 5th), the City Council’s Committee on Rules and Ethics approved the change and made it retroactive to Jan. 1.
That will excuse roughly 45 independent contractors employed by aldermen from filing ethics statements disclosing their clients, what business they or their spouses have with other units of local government or companies doing business with local government.
They also won’t have to disclose other sensitive information that includes debts, capital gains and real estate holdings. Nor will they have to abide by the ban on gifts valued at more than $ 250.
Ethics Board Chairman William Conlon condemned the move as a step backward at a time when the public is demanding more transparency— not less.
“It injects a very unhealthy secrecy into government for a privileged few,” Conlon said.
“They’re getting paid, either in whole or at least in part, by taxpayer funds. I don’t understand why they should be excluded. If they have other jobs and represent other individuals doing business with the city, that ought to be brought to light.”
Conlon said the annual “statement of financial interests” that must be filed by June 1 is tailor- made to expose conflicts.
But if the full Council approves the Hairston- sponsored amendment, taxpayers won’t have that vital information.
“Part of the disclosure is so people have to put out there if they have had income from an entity doing business with the city and if someone in their household got an income through somebody doing business with the city,” Conlon said.
“If they’re employed by the city, people ought to know about that. That’s the whole purpose of the disclosure. To disclose any inappropriate relationships. If people disclose relationships and they’re not inappropriate, it’s not a problem. If it is inappropriate, we should know about it. There shouldn’t be this secrecy surrounding service to the city of Chicago for which they’re being compensated.”
Hairston acknowledged Tuesday that aldermen inadvertently caused the confusion when the ethics ordinance was rewritten in March 2016.
That ordinance defined the terms “city employee” and “City Council employee” as “including an individual retained as an independent contractor by any of them.” That’s why the definition needs to be changed, she said.
“Truly independent contractors [ are] people who have separate offices. People who do not respond to the city. People who are not under the guidance of the city. People who set their own hours,” Hairston said.
Ald. Brian Hopkins ( 2nd) went along with the new definition. But he was a bit uncomfortable about it. He pointed to conflicts with the “very elaborate distinction” included in the IRS code between an independent contractor and “one who is really an employee but may not necessarily be on the standard payroll.” Ald. Carlos RamirezRosa ( 35th) said that’s an issue which must be “dealt with at the federal level.”
“THERE SHOULDN’T BE THIS SECRECY SURROUNDING SERVICE TO THE CITY OF CHICAGO FOR WHICH THEY’RE BEING COMPENSATED.” WILLIAM CONLON, Ethics Board chairman, on city contractor disclosures