CITY HALL — Chicago public officials no longer can accept special offers to attend "high demand" events — like Cubs games and performances of the musical “Hamilton” — under a policy formally approved by the Chicago Board of Ethics.
The policy clarifies a ruling issued while the Cubs battled to reach the World Series. It angered several aldermen who had hoped to take the team up on an offer to buy face value tickets to see the Cubs play for a championship.
Any offer of face value tickets to elected officials constitutes a "prohibited gift" under the city's ethics rules because the tickets are available to the public at a much higher price, according to the final ruling approved unanimously by the board Wednesday evening and signed by William Conlon, chairman of the board of ethics.
The policy applies to all "high-demand" entertainment events — including games, concerts and theater performances for which "a reasonable person could expect to pay more than $50 above the face value of ticket to gain admission."
Performances of Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-hop musical have been sold out for months, with tickets going for thousands of dollars on the secondary market — much like Cubs games.
The city bans public officials from accepting gifts worth more than $50. Violations could trigger fines of $1,000 to $5,000.
Originally, Chicago Board of Ethics Executive Director Steve Berlin ruled that Mayor Rahm Emanuel and any of the 50 aldermen who took advantage of the Cubs' offer to buy playoff tickets at face value could go in their official capacity. That meant the aldermen would have to use the tickets themselves and be acknowledged by the team by having their names announced or displayed on the digital billboard in center field.
But Conlon revised the policy to allow aldermen to buy the tickets at face value only if they performed a "ceremonial duty" such as throwing out the first pitch, marching onto the field with other officials or making a speech.
That change prompted the Cubs to withdraw their offer to aldermen to buy World Series tickets. The team said the issue had become a distraction from efforts to win the organization's first championship in 108 years.
The final ethics board ruling praises the Cubs for acting "in good faith" throughout the controversy.
The ruling does not prohibit elected city officials from buying tickets "in the same manner as other members of the general public," such as from the box office.
But the ruling is designed to "prevent the appearance of favoritism and impropriety that results when city officials and employees take advantage of 'special access' to high-demand sports or cultural events in the city."
While some aldermen argued that accepting the offer to buy face value tickets would make no difference in how they voted on issues regarding the team or the operation of Wrigley Field, the policy is "particularly important" because the Cubs have asked aldermen and the mayor to approve the renovation of Wrigley Field, the sale of alcohol on the new plaza next to the Friendly Confines and a slew of new construction, according to the final ruling.
"The special benefit through the face value sale of inflated market value tickets can only cause the citizens of Chicago to question the propriety, fairness and appropriateness of elected officials accepting such 'special benefits' from a heavily regulated entity."
Under the new policy, a city official who wants to accept an offer of face value tickets to a high-profile event would be required to research the secondary market for tickets to that game or concert to determine whether a regular Chicagoan would have to pay $50 or more for the same ticket.
That research does not put an "undue burden" on the officials, according to the ruling.
The ruling also allows officials to accept tickets — worth any amount of money — from friends or relatives or as part of their work outside City Hall, according to the ruling.
The ruling reminds city officials that their government position is a "privilege" that comes with the "responsibility and obligation to their constituents that they will use their power and privilege to benefit constituents and the city. In doing so, it is important that they avoid even the appearance of a conflict."
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.
