On Thursday, the City Council’s ethics committee held a hearing that was notably absent of representatives from World Business Chicago (WBC), the city’s economic development group. The committee members gathered to question WBC officials about videos featuring Mayor Brandon Johnson that had been posted online, but no one from WBC showed up.
Eight members of the committee, many of whom have criticized Mayor Johnson, wanted WBC to explain its choices in communication and advertising. The videos in question featured the mayor speaking about various investments in neighborhoods across the city, which he described as efforts to boost affordable housing.
In the videos, which were released prior to Johnson’s official re-election announcement, he guided viewers on a tour highlighting various developments on the South, West, Southwest, and Northwest sides of Chicago. Johnson stated, “Chicago, we’re growing. Each of you makes Chicago work, so we’re making it work for you. Let’s keep building better together,” illustrating his points with statistics and visuals of community events and ribbon-cutting ceremonies. However, many critics believe these videos resemble campaign promotions rather than messages aimed at attracting businesses to the city.
In light of this, Alderman Samantha Nugent, who sponsored the WBC request, expressed concern over the timing, especially in the wake of some politically charged ads aired nationally. She compared the situation to a recent advertisement featuring former President Donald Trump, perceived as crossing ethical boundaries. Nugent argued that both instances improperly used taxpayer money for political messaging.
Although WBC’s CEO, Phil Clement, did not attend the hearing, he sent a letter insisting that no taxpayer funds were used for the videos, despite the city granting WBC $1.6 million each year.
Committee Chairman Alderman Matt Martin noted that no explanation for WBC’s absence was provided. In response to repeated inquiries, WBC’s spokesperson, Andrew Hayes, declined to offer any further comments.
Moreover, Aldermen Nugent and Gilbert Villegas raised the possibility of cutting WBC’s funding during the upcoming budget discussions. WBC was founded by former Mayor Richard M. Daley to attract large businesses to Chicago and has undergone various changes in leadership and focus over the years.
Without WBC officials to question, the committee turned to Inspector General David Glockner, who was present for a routine update. He refrained from commenting on the videos or any ongoing investigations but advised the committee to review the city’s ethics rules regarding political activities.
Glockner urged members to evaluate whether the content of the videos aligned with the city’s ethics standards and consider the judgment involved, even in situations that may not constitute a direct violation of the rules.
