Mayor's campaign takes contribution from top airport concessions executive. Another ethics rule violation?

The top executive of a food and beverage concessionaire at O’Hare and Midway airports — whose business operations there are regulated by City Hall — contributed $1,000 to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s campaign fund, elections records show.

But mayoral aides won’t discuss whether the contribution from Hyde Park Hospitality CEO Marc Brooks to Friends of Brandon Johnson in August 2023 several months after the new mayor was sworn in violates an executive order that bans city contractors from giving to a mayor’s campaign and, if so, what consequences the Chicago company might face.

Signed in 2011 as then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel took office, the ethics order that’s still on the books prohibits “city contractors, owners of city contractors, spouses or domestic partners of owners of city contractors, subcontractors to a city contractor on a city contract, owners of subcontractors to a city contractor on a city contract, and spouses or domestic partners of owners of subcontractors to a city contractor on a city contract from making contributions of any amount to the mayor.”

That prohibition is mentioned in written concessions agreements still in effect governing Hyde Park Hospitality’s airport business, including one signed in 2018 in which City Hall allows Hyde Park Hospitality to serve as event caterer for the city-owned Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport hotel, records show.

The agreement says neither Hyde Park Hospitality nor “any person or entity who directly or indirectly has an ownership or beneficial interest” in the company “of more than 7.5%” can make a contribution "of any amount to the Mayor of the City of Chicago . . . or to his or her political fundraising committee.”

The concessions deal, signed by Emanuel not long before he left office, says the contribution ban is in effect while “this agreement or any other contract” between the firm and city “is executory,” and “during any period while an extension of this agreement or any other contract is being sought or negotiated.”

The concessions agreement says a violation of this executive order “constitutes a breach and default” that “entitles the city to all remedies,” including “termination for default.”

Hyde Park Hospitality is currently involved in several other concessions arrangements at the airports, including for a Chick-fil-A at O’Hare and The Club MDW at Midway.

“Additionally, Hyde Park Hospitality is a part of a joint venture that plans to open Bronzeville Bar & Bites in Terminal 5” in 2025, says a spokesman for the Chicago Department of Aviation, the arm of City Hall that operates the airports. “The lease was approved by City Council in July 2024.”

The company is also “part of the joint venture that operates the mobile ordering platform at O’Hare, called Grab,” the spokesman says, adding that each agreement was “awarded following a competitive process.”

Asked about the campaign contribution, Brooks says: “We always try to be supportive of the people at the top of the helm.”

“We always adhere to the rules” and “that’d be on them if they thought it was inappropriate.”

Later, he said of a possible ethics violation: "I don’t believe this to be the case as I’m aware of other similar organizations that have donated, that being said, I’ve asked the city to return my donation."

Brooks gave $2,500 to the campaign fund of Johnson’s predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, in 2022, and $250 in 2014 to her predecessor, Emanuel, elections records show.

Johnson’s campaign aides wouldn’t answer questions.

Other City Hall officials wouldn’t comment either, even to say who enforces the contractor contribution ban. Officials with the city’s Board of Ethics says it’s not them.

Johnson’s campaign has had problems adhering to the rule previously, as the Chicago Sun-Times has reported.

After accepting numerous contributions from city contractors and others — money that probably shouldn’t have been accepted under city ethics rules — Johnson's campaign fund refunded more than $50,000 late last year.

Brooks was involved in two companies that were part of a losing bid for a janitorial contract at Chicago Public Schools, which also falls under the mayor’s control but not the campaign money ban.

Johnson has refused to say whether he would ever support including the so-called sister agencies such as CPS under the same prohibition that exists for City Hall contractors.