Givenchy bag, signed sports memorabilia among items found inside mayor's gift room at City Hall
It's not uncommon for Chicago's mayor to receive gifts, but when the Chicago Office of Inspector General wanted access to the mayor's gift room to see the items, they were repeatedly denied.
On Monday, the doors to the room were opened for CBS News Chicago. So, what was inside?
Hundreds of items, some lavish, some ordinary.
The big question remains: Who is giving these gifts, and are they getting anything back from City Hall in exchange?
Despite the tour and revamped policies, most gifts continue to be received without a note on who gave them.
Deep inside the little-used third floor of City Hall.
"We have the shoes, the Kate Spade purse," said Lori Lipson, deputy mayor of infrastructure and services.
The tour begins in an unremarkable room about the size of a one-car garage with low-hanging pipes.
"Every mayor has had a gift room. It's just not been exciting until now," Lipson said. "It includes hats, t-shirts, there's some memorabilia you'll see from NASCAR, and awards.
There are also pricier items that all appear unused, including a Givenchy bag, signed sports memorabilia, and a Montblanc pen.
When asked if any of the items were used by the mayor, Lipson said "no."
The Inspector General report revealed that 70% of gifts to Mayor Johnson failed to include who gave them—leading the mayor to call for better record keeping, including who gave the gift, when possible.
After checking the now public report, the vast majority of items still lack details about who gave the gift, including a crystal necklace the week of Valentine's Day.
Why is that still happening?
"Most of the time, they're given at a parade or school; it's not a particular person. Sometimes, an organization gives something, and so we are trying to make sure we note that appropriately," Lipson said.
"Where there anything of value being exchanged, we would absolutely want to know if these are coming from people looking for influence," said Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg.
When asked if she can understand why people are considered about the possible writ pro quo?
"I understand the concern, and that's why we're making it available to the public," Lipson said.
The city donates portions of what it has received every few months. In a few weeks, the gift closet will be open to the public to see what's inside.
The mayor said he'd never been to the room when the Inspector General report first came out. Last week, it was mentioned during his heated questioning on Capitol Hill about Chicago being a sanctuary city.
