Brandon Johnson used $30,000 in campaign funds for personal grooming, stating, ‘Looking good is not a government function.
Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago is facing scrutiny over his campaign fund expenditures. A report by the Chicago Sun-Times highlighted that Johnson spent $30,000 on personal grooming, including hair and makeup, using funds from his Friends of Brandon Johnson campaign fund. This spending has sparked debate among Chicagoans and experts like election lawyer Burt Odelson, who argued that such expenses don’t align with governmental functions. Concerns are now escalating about the appropriateness of these expenditures.
Some of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s spending habits with campaign funds are beginning to raise eyebrows in Chicago.
A report from the Chicago Sun-Times revealed Johnson spent $30,000 in one year on hair and makeup with money from the Friends of Brandon Johnson campaign fund. Now, some in Chicago are beginning to question the mayor’s high spending on personal grooming.
“I would be hard-pressed to say grooming is part of your governmental function,” election lawyer Burt Odelson told NBC Chicago. “That’s not a function of government to look good.”
Illinois state law does not specifically mention personal grooming, such as hair and makeup costs, as valid campaign expenditures, which is causing disagreement over whether it is legal. Some say because it is not explicitly prohibited, Johnson was allowed to use the funds for that purpose.
“If you’re making an appearance as mayor of Chicago and you hire a makeup and hair artist for the event, that would most likely be a legitimate use,” Illinois State Board of Elections spokesman Matt Dietrich said. “But if you’re using them for a strictly social event, there might be a stronger grounds for a complaint. You also can’t pay more than fair market value for goods and services.”
Johnson’s office said using campaign funds for this purpose is “commonplace” among politicians.
“The mayor does not spend taxpayer dollars in preparation for the many public appearances and events he attends every day,” a campaign spokesman for Johnson said. “Hair and makeup services are commonplace among high-ranking public officials.”
According to the report, Johnson expensed more than $32,000 from January 2023 to March 2024. His makeup artist was paid $28,000, and the hair salon was paid $4,000. In comparison, former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot expensed $8,000 for similar services.
Johnson’s former opponent, Paul Vallas, who lost to Johnson last year, did not expense any costs related to personal grooming beyond non-detailed “services.” Vallas, who is bald, said on the matter, “I’d like to take credit for being frugal, but nature took care of that.”
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Still, Johnson’s office said the expenses were necessary due to his high-profile role as mayor.
“He’s mayor 24-7,” said Bill Neidhardt, the mayor’s campaign spokesman. “Appearances matter.”
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