Mayor Johnson Returns $1,000 to O’Hare Concessions Executive Amid Ethics Concerns

Chicago: So, here’s the scoop. Mayor Brandon Johnson accepted a $1,000 campaign contribution from Marc Brooks, the CEO of Hyde Park Hospitality, which has contracts at O’Hare and Midway airports. This raised some eyebrows about whether it was an ethics violation since city rules generally prohibit such donations from contractors.

After some media buzz, Johnson’s campaign fund decided to return the money. They filed the paperwork with the Illinois State Board of Elections, showing the refund happened on December 20, right after the news broke. Brooks had initially thought the donation was fine, but later asked for it back.

His company has a bunch of deals for food and drinks at the airports, and they’re even opening a bar and restaurant in O’Hare’s Terminal 5 soon. There’s a rule from 2011 that says city contractors can’t donate to the mayor, and it seems like that rule applies to Brooks too.

Since taking office in April 2023, Johnson has faced questions about accepting money from contractors. He’s returned some donations but not all. Interestingly, his campaign fundraising has been pretty slow lately, with reports showing less than $1,000 raised in the last quarter of 2023. But a campaign aide claimed that was a mistake, saying they actually raised around $200,000. Still, it’s clear the mayor has over $1 million in his campaign fund.