A Chicago City Council committee on Monday removed one aldermanic objection to a new ethics ordinance by approving an amendment that would ensure payment of legal fees to aldermen found to be wrongly accused of an ethics infraction.
In those cases, legal expenses would be reimbursed by the city after being approved by the council’s Finance Committee and the mayor. The amendment won unanimous approval by voice vote of the Rules and Ethics Committee.
Some aldermen have contended they shouldn’t have to pay for lawyers under the new ethics measure, which would make the city’s Board of Ethics responsible for investigating allegations of aldermanic wrongdoing.
“This amendment is fair because it ensures that people who seek public office will not be required to suffer personal financial loss in connection with an investigation which finds no ethics violation occurred,” declared Ald. Richard Mell (33rd), chairman of the Rules and Ethics Committee.
Ethical violations include such things as voting on measures on which aldermen have a personal economic interest and failing to file required financial disclosure statements.
The ethics ordinance is scheduled to be considered by the full council on Wednesday.
The ordinance, backed by Mayor Richard Daley, is expected to win passage.
Meanwhile, Daley himself came under criticism on Monday when U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) called on him to “back up his empty rhetoric” on ethics by imposing tougher laws on the awarding of contracts.
Corruption is “a very serious problem that is oozing out of every crevice of government in the city of Chicago,” Rush said at a news conference at the Midland Hotel.
Citing reports of questionable contracts at O’Hare International Airport as well as those involving Daley crony Thomas Rosenberg and the Chicago Public Schools, Rush–considered a possible opponent in the 1999 mayoral race–charged that contracts get funneled almost exclusively to the mayor’s inner circle of family members, friends and financial backers. Daley has denied any impropriety.
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Rush called on Daley to use his control over the City Council to pass an ordinance that prohibits no-bid contracts in excess of $50,000 and to require council approval of all contracts over $100,000. He also said Daley should instruct the Chicago Public Schools to prohibit no-bid contracts in excess of $25,000.