The Metropolis of Chicago lately shared a video of its “reward room” after a watchdog group accused Mayor Brandon Johnson of improperly accepting helpful items.
On Wednesday, the town additionally introduced new protocols for receiving items, together with a log and video of things presently inside its “reward room.”
The transparency try comes after the Workplace of the Inspector Common (OIG) accused Johnson of accepting helpful items and failing to report them.
Alleged unreported items included jewellery, alcohol, AirPods, designer purses and dimension 14 males’s sneakers, prompting moral considerations.
The brand new protocols, which went into impact on Tuesday, observe that officers should report and correctly log items inside 10 days; retailer items in a chosen space that may be seen publicly through video recording quarterly; and donate extra items.
The primary video log was despatched out on Wednesday and featured art work, clothes, hats and sneakers.
The footage makes an attempt to fight OIG claims that Johnson denied inside investigators entry to the room the place the objects had been saved throughout an unannounced inspection in November.
A written log comprises 18 pages of things, together with their location and the group that donated the items.
“These procedures reaffirm the Mayor’s dedication to moral governance and transparency and guarantee immediate disclosure of all items obtained on behalf of the Metropolis,” in keeping with an announcement from the mayor’s workplace.
Johnson beforehand accused the inspector common of a “mischaracterization,” whereas insisting he by no means personally benefited from any items.
The OIG report listed Hugo Boss cuff hyperlinks, a personalised Montblanc pen, a 2023 US Nationwide Soccer Staff jersey, a Gucci tote bag, a Kate Spade purple purse and Carrucci dimension 14 sneakers from Feb. 2, 2022, by March 20, 2024.
Whereas noticed within the video log, dated Feb. 11, the web log doesn’t account for the tote bag, purse or sneakers, as of Wednesday.
Different objects just like the cuff hyperlinks and pen, whereas accounted for within the log, don’t checklist the group or one that donated the reward.
Inspector Common for the Metropolis of Chicago Deborah Witzburg advised Fox Information Digital Wednesday night time that just some objects are seen within the 22-second video, presenting “sensible challenges.”
“There are some issues seen within the video that are possibly recognizable, however I don’t know that anyone is able to take a look at that video and discover the pair of Hugo Boss cuff hyperlinks or the customized Montblanc pen,” Witzburg stated.
“I don’t know that it lends itself to that. I’m undecided whether or not it’s meant to.”
In keeping with Witzburg, the video doesn’t function an alternative to public entry, which residents are entitled to.
She added she is “deeply involved” about the truth that even items logged within the final couple of days don’t have any details about their givers.
“That continues to be actually problematic,” Witzburg stated. “It doesn’t recommend to me that, at the least in that regard, we’ve made lots of progress… We discuss so much about the truth that the Metropolis of Chicago operates at this deficit of legitimacy, and that for many years and generations, the town has given nobody any motive to afford the federal government the advantage of the doubt. And that basically issues in a scenario like this. Maybe that video reveals a room which appropriately comprises all the things on that checklist, however I’m undecided that we have now given folks any motive to suppose so.”
The priority is that items may be given or obtained with the intention of affecting metropolis authorities choices or actions, she defined.
“We are able to’t have a ‘on the market’ signal on the door to Metropolis Corridor,” Witzburg stated.
“The town’s ethics guidelines comprise these necessities on items, and there are very clear guidelines on the best way to deal with items accepted on behalf of the town.”
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