Chicago’s ethics ordinance should be tightened to apply to political fundraising committees to prevent future city officials from escaping sanctions for violations, including sending emails to city employees at their official city email addresses asking them to send cash to their campaigns, the Chicago Board of Ethics urged the Chicago City Council.
The recommendation followed the Ethics Board’s unanimous decision Nov. 13 to dismiss a complaint prompted by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg’s determination that former Mayor Lori Lightfoot committed three violations of the city’s Governmental Ethics Ordinance by sending pleas for cash to city employees.
The board’s decision to dismiss the complaint against Lightfoot came after attorneys for the former mayor vigorously fought any finding of wrongdoing for nearly six months. The board found no evidence that Lightfoot herself “was involved in drafting, disseminating or approving the emails at issue” that were sent by her campaign in her name nor did she “have knowledge of these emails at the time they were sent to cityofchicago.org email addresses,” according to an unusual memo released by Board Chair William Conlon.
In keeping with the rules governing the inspector general and Chicago Board of Ethics, Lightfoot was not named in connection with this complaint, but Lightfoot confirmed she was the subject of the complaint in a statement to WTTW News.
During the probe, the inspector general’s office “obtained political campaign...
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