June 8th 2024.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is facing scrutiny over his $30,000 budget for hair and make-up services. Some payments to listed establishments have not been received, leading to questions about the accuracy of the disclosure filing. However, Johnson's campaign advisor has clarified that the discrepancy was caused by a vendor who mistakenly wrote down the wrong name in the filing sent to the State of Illinois.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Johnson's campaign advisor, Bill Neidhardt, explained that the vendor in charge of expenditure reports made a mistake in recording the name of the business. Neidhardt assured that the filing will be amended to accurately reflect that the money was spent at AJ Styles Barber and Beauty Salon, not Anthony Jones Salon as previously listed.
Elections board records show that the progressive mayor pays for his personal grooming appointments using funds contributed by supporters of his campaign. In the past year, over $30,000 has been spent on grooming, including haircuts and skincare. The payments were made to various establishments, including Denise Milloy's Makeup Majic and AJ Styles Barber and Beauty Salon.
However, questions have been raised about the payments made to Milloy's Makeup Majic, as they were listed as "Candidate makeup for TV, Candidate makeup for debate, Candidate makeup, and Makeup retainer" before the election. After the election, the payments were simply listed as "event expenses" and neither Milloy nor Johnson commented on the matter. Milloy only stated that she was not at liberty to discuss her work or the money she received for it. It is worth noting that Milloy received the majority of the $30,000, while only $4,000 went to AJ Styles Barber and Beauty Salon.
Some have argued that the amount spent on grooming services is not excessive for a high-ranking public official, but others have criticized Johnson for his lack of consideration for optics. Neidhardt clarified that the mayor's policy is to not use taxpayer money for personal grooming, and instead, he pays Black- and women-owned businesses a fair wage using his campaign funds.
This recent scrutiny over Johnson's spending on hair and make-up follows a previous report about allegations of improper contributions to his campaign. The Chicago Board of Ethics investigated these claims, leading to Johnson returning a $2,000 donation from lobbyist Anthony Bruno. Ald. Brendan Reilly has also voiced his concerns about Johnson's close relationship with the Chicago Teachers Union, stating that it raises questions about the influence of money in politics.
Despite the criticism, Johnson remains focused on his goal of relaunching a Guaranteed Basic Income Program in Chicago. He believes that this program will help alleviate poverty and inequality in the city. Johnson's use of campaign funds for grooming services may continue to be a topic of discussion, but it does not overshadow his efforts to improve the lives of Chicago residents.
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