Amid allegations of misconduct and a refusal to fully cooperate with an investigation, Mayor Brandon Johnson's senior adviser, Jason Lee, remains in his position despite a recommendation from the city's Inspector General (IG) Deborah Witzburg to have him terminated. NBC 5 Chicago reports that Witzburg's investigation began two years prior, following a complaint from Ald. Bill Conway accuses Lee of improper vote trading related to clearing out viaducts in exchange for support on the mayor's agenda.
Conway described a situation where Lee appeared to condition public safety service on the alderman's support of a real estate transfer tax increase and a change to tip credit policies. "He took me into the copy room in the back here [at City Hall] and said, 'Look, we can clean out those viaducts for you tomorrow as long as you vote to raise the real estate transfer tax and you vote for tip credit, as well,'" Conway told NBC 5 Chicago. The alderman tried to unambiguously confirm what he heard, further prompting him to contact the IG.
The mayor's office has pushed back against the IG's findings. According to a statement, the office argues that "the staffer made multiple good-faith attempts as soon as they were contacted by the OIG, in concert with their legal counsel, to comply with the investigation." This is contradicted by Witzburg, who firmly posits that "The rules apply to everybody. If city employees are expected to cooperate with government oversight, that has to apply to everyone," she explained to NBC 5 Chicago.
Despite the IG's findings, Mayor Johnson has chosen not to act on the recommendation to dismiss Lee, who has an annual salary of $195,000. CBS Chicago detailed that Lee's lack of cooperation with the investigation was central to the IG's recommendation for his termination. Lee asserted his rights to have counsel during his interview, which was denied, and according to the mayor's office, this did not justify any discipline. "In direct contravention of applicable law, the OIG deemed the staffer's request for counsel as non-cooperation and refused to proceed with the staffer's interview," the mayor's office said in a statement.
While the investigation has yielded recommendations for termination in other city departments, the mayor's office stands alone in its non-endorsement of such a course of action. This situation has brought to light concerns regarding transparency and accountability within City Hall, with Conway stating, "It's hard to look at it any other way," in reference to the blocked cooperation and the lack of transparency cited in the inspector general's report.
