The recommendation comes in a study released Tuesday that found Chicago Department of Transportation employees regularly accepted gifts — including meals, party invitations, sports tickets and golf outings — from contractors with city business.
Just in time for Christmas, City Hall’s top watchdog is playing the Grinch by suggesting Mayor Richard Daley impose a total ban on employees receiving gifts from people doing business with the city.
The recommendation comes in a study released Tuesday that found Chicago Department of Transportation employees regularly accepted gifts — including meals, party invitations, sports tickets and golf outings — from contractors with city business.
During nearly a two-year period ending in mid-December 2008, department contractors spent more than $10,000 on gifts for more than 40 employees, Inspector General Joseph Ferguson concluded.
Ferguson also noted other inspector general cases involving gift-giving since 2005 that led to employee discipline, bans on contractors or other changes.
In one case, Department of Aviation employees routinely accepted gifts of wine, food and perfume from companies that did business with them. That led to a gift ban in that department.
Ferguson also said many of the transportation department gifts — tickets to Chicago Bulls games, golf outings that served as fundraisers for aldermen and annual holiday parties — exceeded the $50 value limit set out in city code.
Under that code, employees cannot accept any one gift worth more than $50, or gifts worth more than $100 during a single year, from a contractor whose work the employee has the ability to “substantially affect.”
Ferguson called that ban “ill-defined” and “immensely difficult and time-consuming to enforce.” He recommended “a ‘no-gifts’ policy citywide, in order to remove any doubt or uncertainty by employees and contractors in an area that is fraught with the possibilities for bribery at worst and the possible appearance of conflict of interest at best.”
Daley said he had yet to read the report, which was sent to his office Monday.
Ferguson also recommended that if a citywide ban is not put in place, the Department of Transportation should institute a ban. And he recommended all city contractors be required to keep detailed records of gifts they give to city employees.
Transportation Commissioner Bobby Ware, who was promoted to his post last May, is finalizing a gift ban that will be in place within one month, spokesman Brian Steele said.
Tribune reporter John Byrne contributed to this report.
