Mayor Johnson Must Fill Ethics Board Vacancies Now
Reform for Illinois urges Mayor Brandon Johnson to name a new permanent chair to the Chicago Board of Ethics and to fill a six-month vacancy that has disrupted enforcement of the City’s ethics laws.
As Heather Cherone of WTTW reports, the lack of a seventh member has forced the Board to cancel meetings and delay enforcement actions, undermining accountability at a time when public trust in City government is already fragile.
In a city with a long and notorious history of corruption, it is deeply troubling that Mayor Johnson is neglecting his responsibility to empower the Board to fulfill its critical mandate. Right now, serious ethics cases – from campaign finance violations to allegations of bribery and nepotism – are stalled. Chicagoans deserve better.
The Chicago Board of Ethics enforces the City’s ethics ordinance and rules on cases ranging from conflicts of interest and lobbying violations to retaliatory firings and sexual harassment.
The vacancy has made it more difficult for the Board to reach the quorum it needs to conduct business, leading to a growing backlog of cases and leaving enforcement in limbo. One member, Norma Manjarrez, has also been serving on an expired term for months. The absence of a permanent chair compounds the problem, creating uncertainty and leaving the agency without clear leadership.
Mayor Johnson claims that the delay in filling vacancies is due to his vetting process, but we agree with ethics advocates like the Better Government Association’s Bryan Zarou who say the timeline has become untenable.
Mayor Johnson must act immediately to restore the Board’s full capacity to function by:
Appointing a permanent chair;
Either reappointing Board member Norma Manjarrez, who has been serving on an extended basis since her term expired last summer, or appointing a new member to fill her seat; and
Appointing a new member to fill the vacancy left by former Chair Bill Conlon six months ago.
Enforcing ethics rules isn’t optional – it’s a high priority for many of the mayor’s constituents. The mayor’s failure to do the bare minimum required to enable the Board to do its job reinforces perceptions of City government as rife with corruption and incompetence. Mayor Johnson should fix this now.
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