Aldermen use expense accounts to pay ex-Park District official who resigned amid lifeguard scandal

Four aldermen have paid more than $48,000 out of their taxpayer-funded expense accounts to a consulting firm run by a former top Chicago Park District official who was asked to resign for his involvement in the Park District’s sexual abuse lifeguard scandal and placed on a do-not-rehire list.

Payments to a firm owned and operated by Alonzo Williams, the Park District’s former chief programs officer, began less than five months after Williams’ resignation in late 2021 after he was repeatedly cited in an independent investigation as among several Park District executives who mishandled allegations of sexual harassment and abuse in the lifeguard program.

Williams was paid as an independent contractor for various consulting jobs by four City Council members: former Ald. Roderick Sawyer, 6th, and current Aldermen Michelle Harris, 8th, David Moore, 17th, and Jason Ervin, 28th. Three of the four defended paying Williams with city funds even though he was asked to resign and banned from working for the Park District again.

The payments came from little-known aldermanic expense allowances, which have grown steadily over the years and now provide each of the city’s 50 council members $122,000 annually to spend on almost anything they want with little oversight. The most recent hike, which raised allowances by more than 25%, was pushed by recently departed Mayor Lori Lightfoot to encourage aldermen to pass her 2020 budget.

In the past, the Tribune has found aldermen used these expense accounts to hire relatives and lease expensive vehicles, among other expenditures.

The spending also highlights a loophole that allows those who have been removed or asked to resign from government jobs to almost immediately start consulting firms and begin receiving taxpayer dollars once again.

In Williams’ case, the independent report found he violated the Park District’s sexual harassment and workplace violence policies by failing to report to the district’s human resources department allegations made by a former Oak Street Beach female lifeguard and her family that she was subjected to sexual harassment, assault, hazing, bullying and retaliation.

The same day the report was released in November 2021, Williams resigned at the request of Park District CEO Rosa Escareño. But two months later, records show, Williams launched 8028 Consultants LLC, and just two months after that he received his first payment from Moore. Records show Williams was briefly employed in Moore’s ward office before he switched to being an independent contractor.

By April 2022, the three other council members — Sawyer, Harris and Ervin — had each begun paying Williams’ firm on a monthly basis. Williams advised them “in all park related matters” and created documents for grant applicants, according to engagement requests, invoices and emails obtained by the Tribune through the Freedom of Information Act.

The payments were just some of more than 20,000 transactions aldermen made using their ward expense accounts between 2019 and 2022 that the Tribune examined. While more than half of the nearly $20.8 million spent over this four-year period went for staff or rent, the remainder was split across a constellation of vendors.

The Tribune also found:

• At least eight independent contractors, including Williams, did not file financial interest statements that are required by the city’s ethics ordinance.

• Several aldermen used the expense accounts to pay consulting firms and contractors that previously worked on the council members’ political campaigns, a legal but potentially concerning practice.

• Five aldermen also used their expense accounts to pay for voter data and software. Those purchases initially raised concerns from city finance officials, emails show, as the data could also have been used for political purposes. But the expenditures were ultimately approved because the aldermen said it helped them answer service requests from constituents.

‘Do Not Rehire’

Beginning in 2020, the Chicago Park District’s inspector general conducted an internal probe into allegations that dozens of employees in its lifeguard program sexually assaulted, abused and harassed others in the program.

In October 2021, longtime Park District Superintendent and CEO Michael Kelly resigned on the same day Lightfoot and several aldermen called for his ouster, as details of the scandal continued to emerge. And a month later three high-level managers, including Williams, ended their employment with the Park District following the release of the independent report commissioned by the district’s board.

The district’s human resources form that details Williams’ resignation also states “DO NOT REHIRE” in the remarks section.

District spokeswoman Michele Lemons said Williams is still banned from being employed by the Park District, which is a sister agency of the city of Chicago.

While the ban only applies to the Park District and the designation does not strictly forbid employment with other sister agencies or the city itself, the city’s Human Relations department said in an emailed response that the designation “may impact employment with the city, as a designation of ineligible for rehire by any employer will be taken into consideration when making a hiring decision.”

When asked about Williams’ move from the Park District to being a City Council contractor, Board of Ethics Executive Director Steve Berlin said that although it was concerning, the board doesn’t vet City Council contractors and he isn’t aware of who does.

“The situation you describe is disturbing — I’d think do not hire lists should be shared and honored between sister agencies and the City’s various branches, including the legislative branch,” Berlin wrote in an email. “However, who can and cannot be hired as a City Council independent contractor is not addressed by the Governmental Ethics Ordinance.”

After resigning from the Park District, Williams founded 8028 Consultants LLC in January 2022 and registered it with his wife out of their single-family home in Avalon Park.

In a statement, Williams criticized the Park District for releasing information about his previous employment, including his resignation, and took exception to being deemed as someone who could not be rehired by the Park District. Williams said he had “absolutely no knowledge” of his ineligibility for rehiring prior to the Tribune’s inquiry and said he was “not afforded due process” to challenge that decision.

“I have been a public servant my entire adult life and professional career and intend to remain as such,” Williams wrote. “This matter is impacting my health, and welfare and that of my family. The Park District has acted beyond its lawful scope to defame my reputation and hinder my prospects to gainful employment.”

‘I should have paid him more’

Despite Berlin’s concerns, three of the four council members lauded Williams’ work.

Harris, who has been alderman of the 8th Ward on the South Side since 2006, said Williams spent significant time helping community organizations apply for grants through Lightfoot’s microgrant program in 2022, which gave every ward office $100,000 to invest how they saw fit.

“I should have paid him more money because he deserves it, because it’s been an excruciating, painful process, and a very time-consuming process,” Harris said. “He had to sit down and really go tutor these folks that wanted the grant and work them from A to Z.”

Ervin, alderman of the 28th Ward since 2011, said Williams knowing “the ins and outs of the Park District” made him a valuable addition. He added that the 28th Ward received around $20 million from the district for capital improvements thanks, in part, to Williams’ work.

“He was very helpful in helping us through the process and connecting the right people to get the stuff done,” Ervin said. “So that little change that we spent on him has been exponentially great, with us getting over $20 million worth of improvements and a couple more parks.”

Ervin’s office said in a subsequent statement that the funds were primarily for improvements and new construction in Garfield Park, including a new Little League and high school baseball stadium, restoration of the reflection pond and renovation of the park’s Music Court.

When asked why he hired Williams despite the Park District investigation’s findings, Moore declined to comment. Aldermen Sawyer, Harris and Ervin gave a range of explanations. Harris defended Williams based on her own familiarity with him.

“I know him personally, I know his character, I know who he is, and that’s the most that I’m going to talk,” Harris said. “He didn’t do anything, and so I’m not gonna comment on something that I don’t have any firsthand information (on).”

Sawyer said he’s known Williams for “over 20 years” and suggested Williams had been unfairly held responsible for his role in the Park District’s mishandling of allegations in the lifeguard program.

“I understand he fell on the sword at the Park District, had been a No. 2 guy following orders, but sometimes that — you know, it happens how it happens, but he’s a great man,” Sawyer said. “I’ve known him personally, know his family, and have nothing bad to say about him.”

Ervin said he thought Williams “wasn’t involved with anything that happened to the lifeguards,” and that the investigation’s findings on Williams weren’t a factor in his decision about whether to hire his consulting firm.

“It was somewhat unclear what his role was or what happened in that situation, you know, it just seemed like he just may have been fallout of the whole thing,” Ervin said. “So I didn’t think it was an issue of concern for us, per se, for the work that we wanted him to do.”

But the independent report conducted by the law firm of Arnold & Porter portrayed Williams as someone who did little in the face of the allegations that abuse and harassment was happening to lifeguards.

The report noted that Kelly, the Park District CEO, was first notified of the Oak Street Beach lifeguard’s allegations in an email that he forwarded to Williams, stating, “Take a look and let’s discuss.” But the law firm found no evidence either Williams or Kelly did anything to follow up on the allegations. The firm also found no evidence that either reported the complaint to human resources, as required.

Sawyer, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor, was succeeded earlier this month by new 6th Ward Ald. William Hall, who told the Tribune his office will not work with Williams. Hall said he’s evaluating all vendors Sawyer worked with before continuing to pay them.

“We won’t be going forward with doing any contractual work with (Alonzo Williams), nor will we be going forward with a lot of vendors that the alderman has used in the past,” Hall said. “We hopefully will build a good office with good vendors that get the job done, but get it done in a way that reflects good principles and good ethics.”

From one agency to another

The hiring of Williams’ consulting company underscores a crack in how well the city vets officials who are banned from being rehired at other city agencies.

Officials with the city’s Human Resources department told the Tribune the city conducts background checks for employees, vendors and contractors, but did not identify any office that vets City Council contractors. The department declined to answer whether it was aware of Williams’ ineligibility at the Park District when approving his contracts with the four aldermen.

The aldermen’s payment vouchers to Williams note that an “ICA is on file,” meaning Williams has independent contractor agreements with each of them. Those ICAs must be processed and approved by the city’s human resources department before independent contractors can be paid.

Alisa Kaplan, executive director for the ethics advocacy group Reform for Illinois, said ineligibility at one agency shouldn’t automatically disqualify someone in other parts of city government. But she added that the information should be shared and accessible for all agencies to review.

“I don’t see why there couldn’t be a list, I mean, for God’s sake, put it in a Google Doc and when you’re looking to hire somebody, type Control-F and see if the person is there,” Kaplan said. “I don’t know that you would necessarily want to make it so that if one agency puts a ‘do not employ’ on somebody, that means that every agency should comply with it, but certainly it might make them look twice, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

What’s more, Williams did not file a statement of financial interest form with the city’s Ethics Board, despite a requirement that all City Council contractors do so.

Of the 18 independent contractors the Tribune identified in expense allowance payments, only five had statements available on the Board of Ethics’ website for each year they were paid. The remaining 13 were all missing at least one year, and eight of them have no statements filed at all.

Berlin said that although the Board of Ethics formally requests City Council members and committees to identify their contractors, this doesn’t guarantee compliance.

“Our list is only as good as the lists we are given,” Berlin wrote in a statement. “If there are known independent contractors who have not filed, we’d appreciate knowing who they are so we can require them to file.”

Public funds for campaign consultants

Williams’ hiring was part of more than $1.5 million in spending between 2019 and 2022 by aldermen out of their expense accounts for consultants who advised council members on public relations, policy research and project management.

Some of those dollars went to individuals or companies that also did political work for the aldermen.

Indicted former Ald. Carrie Austin, 34th, used her expense account to pay the company of her longtime campaign treasurer, Dianne Turner, more than $152,000, the Tribune found.

Incorporated in 2019, Turner’s B&J Consulting Services, Inc. began being paid by Austin seven months later and about two months after federal agents raided Austin’s ward office.

Kaplan said that while such payments from City Council members might “merit a closer look,” Austin and Turner’s political connection doesn’t necessarily mean the payments were improper. It depends on Turner’s work and how much she was paid for it, Kaplan said.

“Certainly, Carrie Austin hasn’t done herself any favors in terms of how you might look at her dealings,” Kaplan said. “But it’s always a bit of a blurry line between, you’re hiring your friend or your family member to help them out or to enrich your own family, versus you’re hiring somebody that you know and you like working with. That’s where these things can get complicated.”

Payment vouchers and invoices lack specific details on what services Turner provided for the 34th Ward office. Each reports Turner’s work as “Aldermanic research and analysis consulting services” and does not itemize hours actually worked.

After paying Turner five times in varying amounts in September and October 2019, Austin began paying a consistent rate every two weeks of $1,875 in January 2020, which continued through the end of 2022.

Austin and her chief of staff, Chester Wilson Jr., were indicted on federal bribery charges in July 2021, and Austin resigned from the City Council three months ago.

Austin and Turner could not be reached for comment.

Turner isn’t the only political ally paid through the expense allowance. Several aldermen paid consultants or contractors from both their public allowance funds and their private campaign funds.

Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, paid public relations firm MK Communications more than $43,500 from his campaign funds for work during the 2015 and 2019 elections, and paid the company more than $82,000from his aldermanic expense allowance for public relations and communications services for his ward office between 2019 and 2022.

“We have worked with MK Communications — a public policy strategy and communications firm for more than a decade — seeking their sound advice and excellent services for our community development and constituent services activity,” Beale wrote in an emailed response. “And (every) four years — and sometimes in-between, the firm has been hired by my campaign entity to advise on strategy and plans as well as creating, designing, overseeing production of materials and to interact with the media.”

MK Communication’s owner, Marilyn Katz, said she’s worked for Beale for more than a decade at the same rate and the result has been millions of dollars invested in the ward and the creation of thousands of jobs.

“What he and the people of Pullman/Roseland have done is extraordinary,” she said in a statement.

Across town on the Far North Side, Ald. Debra Silverstein, 50th, paid The Paladin Political Group about $70,000 from her campaign funds in 2019 and 2020 for mailers and consulting services. Between 2019 and 2022, she paid the company more than $42,000 from her expense allowance for designing and distributing official ward mailers.

“When it comes to 50th Ward business, I always look for the best quality work at the lowest cost to the taxpayers,” Silverstein said in a statement. “Dave Seman at Paladin Political Group does a fantastic job and 50th Ward residents deserve only the best.”

Seman did not respond to a request for comment.

Subscription spending

Several aldermen also spent tens of thousands of dollars for subscriptions to products from NGP VAN, a voter database and software service provider primarily used by the Democratic Party and other progressive campaigns.

Aldermen Marty Quinn, 13th, Raymond Lopez, 15th, Stephanie Coleman, 16th, Andre Vasquez, 40th and Jim Gardner, 45th each paid for ward-specific subscriptions for SmartVAN, which is advertised as providing “the most detailed and consistently updated voter information available to campaigns & organizations.” Quinn, Coleman and Gardiner also subscribed to Casework, software designed to “track and manage constituent cases from first contact through resolution,” according to NGP VAN’s website.

The moves raised some concerns from the city’s Department of Finance, which, according to emails obtained by the Tribune, pressed for further details on the SmartVAN purchases since city code prohibits using expense allowance funds to pay for “personal, political or campaign-related expenses.”

In each instance, ward staffers told the Finance Department that SmartVAN software was used to track constituent service requests, and that the wards used the voter data to help build contact lists for outreach and mailers. The answers satisfied the Finance Department staff, which approved the subscription payments.

Lopez told the Tribune the city doesn’t provide aldermen with any constituent data to aid their work, and that building from the voter data is the best option available.

“We include voter information because that gives us a groundwork from which to be able to send mailers out officially from the city of Chicago,” Lopez said. “We don’t have a mailing list for the ward that’s not voter based. You can build from (the voter data); it’s easier to build from something than to try and create one for 54,000 people (across the ward).”

Coleman’s office said her predecessor as alderman left sparse information about constituents when she was first elected in 2019.

“We received nothing from the previous administration,” Coleman’s office wrote in an emailed response. “We only saw a handful of old service requests in the system that were unfilled.”

Tribune reporter Gregory Pratt contributed.

aharrison@chicagotribune.com