Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson allegedly violated the city’s ethics ordinance after failing to report that he accepted luxury gifts, including premium whiskey and designer accessories, according to a city watchdog audit that was released Wednesday.
Inspector General Deborah Witzburg released a report that said Johnson and former Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office allegedly breached city ethics by failing to log gifts over $50 and denied covert Office of Inspector General investigators access to records at City Hall’s fifth floor, WGN TV reported. These items were reportedly stored in a secret “Gift Room” within the mayor’s personal office, away from the oversight of investigators and regulatory bodies.
Chicago’s Government Ethics Ordinance typically bars city officials from accepting gifts valued over $50 unless they are received on behalf of the city and approved in advance by the Board of Ethics. Furthermore, such gifts should be reported to both the Board of Ethics and the city comptroller for inventory purposes. An undisclosed and long-standing arrangement dating back to 1989 between the Board of Ethics and the mayor’s office, however, has circumvented these requirements.
“We did not look into practices of other administrations but that is our understanding, that this dates back to the Sawyer administration,” Witzburg said.
BREAKING: Chicago’s Inspector General just dropped a report exposing Mayor Brandon Johnson’s secret gift stash. Jewelry, whiskey, handbags, and shoes—all stored in a “Gift Room” hidden from investigators as well as Johnson’s personal office. Just as scandalous: The report reveals… pic.twitter.com/vl5fCXF9V2
— Austin Berg (@Austin__Berg) January 29, 2025
Under this informal policy, the mayor’s office maintains a logbook of received gifts on the fifth floor of City Hall. This logbook is supposed to be publicly accessible, yet when an undercover investigator from the Inspector General’s office attempted to view it, access was denied. The investigator was advised to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request instead. In response to the FOIA request, which was initially ignored by the mayor’s office, the Inspector General was eventually provided access to the gift log after issuing a formal demand.
The log allegedly disclosed a trove of high-end items such as Hugo Boss cuff links, a Mont Blanc pen, multiple Gucci and Givenchy bags, a Kate Spade purse, and Carrucci men’s shoes. Notably, no records of gifted travel, entertainment, or meals were included.
Further attempts by the Inspector General to inspect the “Gift Room” were blocked by the mayor’s office, with the city’s Department of Law intervening to prevent access. The city ordinance mandates that all city departments must cooperate with the Inspector General and provide access to premises, equipment, and records. Allegedly, the mayor’s office has obstructed the Inspector General’s efforts to investigate the handling and storage of the gifts.
Nearly 75% of gifts accepted during Lightfoot’s tenure were not assigned a storage location in official records, the report said. Johnson’s office failed to list locations for 12% of gifts. Many items were tagged as stored in Room 507, believed to be the mayor’s private office, but for many gifts the exact storage location remains unspecified.
The OIG has formally recommended that the mayor’s office adhere to gift transparency and inspection requirements, whether announced or not. In response, Johnson’s chief of staff insisted on compliance with all ethical guidelines, saying that gifts would be made available for scheduled inspections at the earliest opportunity. However, the lack of immediate access to the gift room raises questions about what transpired behind closed doors, according to Witzburg, WGN TV reported.
Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Featured Image Credit: U.S. DOD photographer
