Lightfoot adds another round of ethics reforms
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday added another round to the seemingly endless parade of ethics reforms tailor-made to change the culture of City Hall corruption laid bare by the racketeering indictment against Ald. Edward Burke (14th).
Lightfoot’s plan includes:
♦ Allowing the city inspector general to audit City Council committees.
♦ Banning some — but not all — outside employment for aldermen.
♦ Higher fines for ethics violations. “There’s no mistake that this is designed to address the problem of Ed Burke trying to monetize his position as an alderman and as a chairman,” said Lightfoot, who has repeatedly demanded Burke’s resignation from the City Council.
“This is a first of many changes that we’ll ultimately make over the course of the four years to make sure that we are having a network of ethics and compliance that drive home the fact that people who are elected officials and appointed officials have to put the people’s work first.”
One week after the Chicago Board of Ethics outlined its own blueprint for change, Lightfoot embraced some recommendations while ignoring or softening others.
If the City Council OKs the mayor’s plan, aldermen would be banned from “certain outside employment that poses a potential liability or a conflict of interest” with city business.
The maximum fine for “high-level” ethics violations would increase to $5,000 — up from the $2,000 levied recently against Burke. That’s lower than the $20,000 recommended by the Board of Ethics. The top fine for “low-level” violations would double to $1,000.
And Inspector General Joe Ferguson would be empowered to audit Council committees.
The definition of lobbyists would be broadened to include nonprofits. Their lobbyists would be required to register and provide quarterly reports, but registration fees would be waived.
The mayor’s plan doesn’t mention the Ethics Board’s controversial proposal to dry up campaign contributions to the mayor, city clerk, city treasurer and aldermen from real estate developers, corporate executives and labor unions. That doesn’t mean it’s dead. “I want to make sure that we are looking at things comprehensively. And there’s a lot of things that we need to address in the way that our elections function and also campaign finance . . . . the proposals from the Ethics Board are just one piece of the puzzle,” the mayor said.
Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) has said banning outside income and limiting campaign contributions — not ending aldermanic prerogative — is the way to stop the cycle of corruption that has sent 30 present or former Chicago aldermen to prison since 1970.
Lightfoot disagreed. A total ban would “potentially pose a hardship on aldermen,” she said, including new Zoning Committee Chairman Tom Tunney (44th), owner of Ann Sather Restaurants.
Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel pushed through five rounds of ethics reforms.