Politics
Ethics Board Investigating Mayoral Hopeful John Kelly for Filming Campaign Videos in Chicago Fire Stations
Video: Three videos posted to John Kelly’s X account were deleted from the social media platform by Tuesday afternoon.
The Chicago Board of Ethics is investigating mayoral hopeful John Kelly for posting three campaign videos recorded in Chicago Fire Department stations in recent weeks, officials told WTTW News.
Kelly’s videos appear to violate the city’s Governmental Ethics Ordinance, which bans candidates for city office from “intentionally (using) any city property or resources of the city in connection with any prohibited political activity.”
Chicago Board of Ethics Executive Director Steve Berlin told WTTW News that the board was “aware” of the videos and “will take appropriate action.”
The maximum punishment for breaking the Governmental Ethics Ordinance is a $20,000 fine per violation.
Kelly defended the videos in an appearance on “Chicago Tonight” Monday, hours after his campaign posted a video to his social media accounts taken at a fire station in Gage Park. That video showed him riding on a Chicago Fire Department truck’s aerial platform, which is used to rescue fire victims from high rises and during other emergencies or to extinguish flames from above.
“That wasn’t a campaign video, this is part of my tour of the city of Chicago,” Kelly said, reiterating his pledge to visit all 96 fire stations in Chicago. “We’re there as a private citizen, asking them questions. We don’t distribute any kind of campaign literature. We don’t ask them for signatures. What we’re doing is talking to the Chicago firemen, because elected officials are not talking to them. I’m prepared to take those kind of political hits.”
During that video, which ends with his campaign logo, Kelly sits in an unused ambulance while talking to uniformed members of the fire department, while saying the city needs more ambulances. In addition, Kelly is shown climbing down from a fire truck while speaking with another uniformed member of the fire department.
After WTTW News informed Kelly’s campaign that the Ethics Board was probing the videos, a spokesperson said they had removed the videos “out of respect for our firefighters.”
“The moment an outsider stands with first responders, their faux ethics machine revs up,” the campaign said in a statement. “We have total respect for the Chicago Fire Department, and John Kelly will never apologize for having their backs.”
While the Kelly campaign deleted the video posted Monday and shown on “Chicago Tonight,” after WTTW News’ initial request for comment two other videos remained on its social media accounts. Those were removed Tuesday afternoon following a second inquiry from WTTW News. The videos, captured by WTTW News before they were deleted, show Kelly visiting a Gold Coast fire station on Aug. 7 and a West Loop fire station on Aug. 14.
The Chicago Fire Department did not authorize Kelly’s visits, according to a statement to WTTW News from Director of Media Affairs Kathy Chaney.
The Chicago Board of Ethics has repeatedly punished candidates for elected office for using city property in their campaign advertisements.
Former Chicago Board of Ethics Chair William Conlon specifically warned all candidates running in the last mayoral election not to use images of uniformed Chicago police officers, firefighters or city personnel in campaign advertisements.
U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García edited a television advertisement he aired during his unsuccessful 2023 bid for mayor to remove images of the candidate talking to two uniformed officers while promising to get tough on crime.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
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