Darlena Williams-Burnett, the wife of Ald. Walter Burnett, who is the front-runner to be the next Chicago Housing Authority CEO, violated the housing authority’s ethics policy when employed by the agency in 2022, according to documents obtained through a Tribune public records request.
Williams-Burnett serves as the chair of the Chicago Intellect political action committee and did not disclose the position to CHA, a violation of the Hatch Act — the federal law that restricts the political activity of some government workers and a component of CHA’s ethics policy.
“It is our conclusion that (Williams-)Burnett violated the Ethics Policy in her false and intentional denial of holding any position with the PAC or knowing anything of its activity,” said the CHA ethics officer in an April 2022 email to then-CHA CEO Tracey Scott, the human resources director and inspector general.
The ethics officer cited the CHA ethics policy that stated if any employee “fails to provide documents or information requested by the Ethics Officer, or who furnishes false or misleading information to the Ethics Officer with the intent to mislead, shall be subject to removal from office, employment sanctions, or the cancellation of contract rights.”
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Williams-Burnett, who had been deputy chief of fleet and facilities in CHA’s general services department, had already informed the housing authority of her planned June 2022 resignation in February of that same year. She now works as a real estate agent, according to her LinkedIn profile.
“We had called our lawyers and our lawyers said she didn’t violate anything,” Burnett told the Tribune Wednesday, adding that he also spoke with then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “She never got any paperwork or anything in regards to that, just a conversation, that was it.”
Burnett said his wife had already planned to retire at the time. He said his lawyers told him recently that his wife should resign from her position on the PAC in the event that he does get CHA’s top job.
Williams-Burnett did not respond to a Tribune request for comment and Burnett said his wife declined to comment. CHA said it could not comment on personnel matters.
During her eight-year CHA tenure, Williams-Burnett also received a written reprimand from the chief operations officer for missing a meeting where she was scheduled to brief board members on an upcoming board meeting agenda item. She was unreachable shortly after the meeting’s start time and when later asked to explain her absence said she just “‘missed it,’” according to the written reprimand.
Williams-Burnett was then instructed on “corrective actions,” including ensuring her availability for meetings, having alternative arrangements in the event that she was unavailable to attend meetings and answering her work phone.
The PAC was created in 2018. The group’s purpose, per the Illinois State Board of Elections, is “to promote and support organizations that advance and protect the interests of the citizens of Chicago.” In the last election cycle, the group donated to various aldermen.
Burnett, 27th, will resign from the City Council — where he represents a West Side ward spanning some of the richest and poorest neighborhoods — at the end of the month. He has expressed deep interest in taking the helm at CHA. The Tribune first reported June 28 that Burnett was a candidate for the position.
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