Chicago mayor signs ethics executive orders on first day in office

New Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel instituted six executive orders on his first day in office. The executive orders focused on ethics reform and donations to mayoral election campaigns. Per Lynn Sweet’s blog at the Chicago Sun-Times, the executive orders:

- Prohibit new appointees from lobbying City government for two years after they leave office
- Protect City employees against pressure to make gifts or political contributions to their superiors (including the mayor)
- Prohibit City lobbyists from making political contributions to the mayor
- Ban on political contributions to the mayor from owners of companies that do business with the city
- Require city employees to comply with the hiring oversight rules adopted in Shakman litigation
- Reaffirm that it is the duty of City employees to report wrongdoing to the inspector general

The last three executive orders listed above were Daley-era orders that Emanuel is continuing. Read more at the Chicago Sun-Times.

ABC 7 news in Chicago reports that if Emanuel’s executive orders had been in effect during the election, almost $2 million of what he raised would have been “unacceptable” according to the rules.