RFI Statement on Ethics Legislation in Chicago

After months of political maneuvering, yesterday the Chicago City Council approved a measure banning lobbyists from making campaign contributions to the mayor and mayoral candidates.

The ordinance was the ultimate no-brainer: its purpose was just to codify a similar 2011 executive order by then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Ethics Committee Chair Ald. Matt Martin introduced the legislation this year after the Board of Ethics, responding to complaints that Mayor Johnson had improperly received lobbyist donations, said it lacked the legal authority to enforce the years-old order.

We applaud the City Council for passing the ban, and for doing so unanimously. It should be clear to everyone that lobbyists shouldn’t be able to buy a mayor’s influence by donating to their campaign.

But passing basic ethics legislation should not be this hard. The ordinance’s initial introduction was met with resistance by Mayor Johnson, and his allies helped slow its progression until he finally withdrew his opposition.

And another ethics package, containing measures that would be considered trivial in our peer cities, is still stalled. Among other things, it would close a giant loophole in the city’s pay-to-play rules that allows executives of city contractors to give large campaign donations to city candidates and elected officials. New York City and other jurisdictions closed this loophole long ago: it’s time for Chicago to join them.

Chicago also lags behind other big cities by lacking a public campaign financing system. New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Seattle, and others have adopted such programs to fight corruption, increase transparency, and elevate the voices of everyday residents.

Ald. Martin introduced legislation in June that would establish a publicly financed “Fair Elections” small donor matching program. It is supported by Reform for Illinois and twenty other good government and community organizations. While Mayor Johnson has expressed his theoretical support for such a program, he has not yet weighed in publicly on the proposal.

We’ve seen over and over again how big money from wealthy individuals and special interests can nourish corruption and distort the democratic process. Let’s finally take it seriously and get these reforms passed now.

There are plenty of opportunities for the Mayor and City Council to lead on fighting corruption and restoring trust in city government. We all know the need is urgent. Yesterday was a step in the right direction, and we hope it’s just the beginning.