Republican lawmakers take the victory lap days after the Chicago mayor agreed to donate the contents of the “secret gift room” to a charity, and then he was grilled about it at a House hearing.
“A few days after I forced a corrupt @chicagosmayor to answer his secret gift room, he’s publishing his gifts. They are currently donating to charity,” R-Texas Rep. Brandon Gill told X.
“Chicago is a sanctuary city with foreigners of crime violations that terrorize the American people. Mayor Brandon Johnson was a major supporter and advocate for the sanctuary city,” Gill continued. “At the same time, he was accepting gorgeous gifts from private sources.”
Gill quized Mayor Brandon Johnson on gifts he received, including Hugo boss cufflinks and personalized Mont Blancpen, at a House Oversight Committee hearing on Sanctuary City last week.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogust)
“I didn’t take them personally, the city of Chicago received them,” Johnson said. “These are not my personal gifts, they are the city of Chicago gifts, and that’s why you know they exist.”
After that hearing, ABC7 Chicago reported that it was described as a “mayor’s gift room.” The gifts include Kate Spade women’s handbags, t-shirts and coffee mugs, some of which were pre-Johnson inauguration. Others included the signed Chicago Bulls jersey and NASCAR race suit.
The outlet reported that all items were categorized into city websites listed when given and by whom. Gifts are donated to charities on a revolving basis, and the mayor’s office opens gift rooms per day per quarter, the outlet reports.
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The questions came after a key general report in Chicago, criticizing the lack of transparency and reporting that 70% of gifts did not have an identity record of who provided the gift. The room included over 300 gifts.
“When a gift changes hands in a windowless room at city hall, there is no opportunity to monitor and publicly scrutinize the validity of such gifts, the identity and intention of gift gifts, or the meaning of gifts, such as whiskey, jewelry, handbags, and men’s shoes of size 14.”
The city did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rep. Brandon Gill (Getty Images)
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Gill tied the room into an ongoing controversy over the “sanctuary” city. This limited the ability of state and local enforcement to cooperate with immigration and customs enforcement.
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“This new transparency is welcome, but that’s not enough. Sanctuary City policies must now be over. Elected officials are obligated to American citizens, not illegal aliens,” he said.
Adam Shaw is a political reporter for Fox News Digital, covering mainly immigration and border security.
He can be contacted at adam.shaw2@fox.com or on Twitter.
