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Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson’s pick for chief of staff was previously disciplined for his role in a plan with fellow city workers to give free parking to friends and family near the United Center during Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bulls games.
The city suspended Richard Guidice for 30 days in 2017 after a report from the Chicago Office of Inspector General found he and several other city employees participated in a “scheme” in which they set aside free street parking for friends and family during Blackhawks playoff games and Bulls games in 2015 and 2016.
The suspension was noted in Guidice’s city personnel file, which the Tribune received through an open records request. He had violated several city rules, the investigation found, including directing “employees to perform services for unauthorized purposes or accepting the benefits of such performance … giving preferential treatment” and “conduct unbecoming a public employee.”
[ Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson picks longtime City Hall staffer as chief of staff ]
The suspension referenced a specific investigation from then-Inspector General Joe Ferguson’s office, which found during the Blackhawks’ 2015 run to the Stanley Cup championship, friends of Office of Emergency Management & Communications employees were routinely allowed to park on a stretch of Wood Street near the United Center reserved for media.
Inspector general reports that are made public do not name employees, but Guidice’s personnel file notes the 30-day suspension.
“Approximately 62 different, non-OEMC vehicles parked on the west side of Wood between Warren (Boulevard) and Madison (Street) during the surveillances,” the report said. “Many of those vehicles parked on multiple occasions. The parkers included friends and relatives of management-level and supervisory OEMC employees.”
The parking deal for connected insiders came to light as area sports fans were often paying top dollar to park at or near the United Center for Bulls and Blackhawks games, especially as the Blackhawks were enjoying one of their successful runs for the Stanley Cup.
The report stated the practice also could have been taking place at other venues.
[ City workers gave out free street parking to friends during Blackhawks, Bulls games ]
At the time, Guidice was OEMC’s first deputy director, serving as the main liaison for Chicago event venues, including Soldier Field, what was then US Cellular Field, Wrigley Field and the United Center, according to a copy of his résumé included in his personnel file.
Johnson’s selection last month of Guidice as chief of staff was viewed by many as a sign the incoming mayor who campaigned to shake up City Hall was still keeping some levels of stability in his administration. Guidice is a longtime city government figure who rose through the ranks since Mayor Richard M. Daley’s administration and was tapped by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel to head OEMC, a role Mayor Lori Lightfoot kept him in.
Former city officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak about the matter said Guidice’s suspension did not come up during Lightfoot’s transition vetting process.
A spokesman for Johnson said Guidice “accepted responsibility” after the 2017 inspector general report.
“When a preferential parking policy change following an Inspector General investigation did result in Mr. Guidice receiving a short-term suspension, he accepted responsibility and worked to quickly ensure no one else on his staff violated the new policy going forward,” Ronnie Reese, a spokesman for Johnson, said in a statement.
Reese added that the mayor-elect remained confident Guidice was the right man for the chief of staff job.
“As part of the process for every appointment, our transition team conducts a thorough review of a candidate’s background, including their personal and professional history. For Mr. Guidice, that review resulted in a clear, demonstrated track record of devoted public service and leadership working on behalf of the City of Chicago,” Reese said in the statement.
Asked whether the report raised any questions about Mr. Guidice’s decision-making or commitment to good government, Reese said, “Mr. Guidice is leading our team because the mayor-elect has full faith and confidence in his integrity and experience, and he will be a crucial part of our work to build a stronger, better and safer Chicago for all.”
[ I.G. Report: “Preferential Parking Scheme” ]
In the 2017 inspector general’s report, details suggest Guidice was one of the workers who “lied or was evasive” during interviews with the I.G.’s office. Two unnamed managers were cited in the report. One resigned under inquiry; the other was suspended for 30 days. Attempts to reach Guidice were unsuccessful.
The management-level OEMC employee who did not resign “denied knowledge of any preferred parking arrangement despite multiple OEMC employees stating the employee was aware of the parking arrangement and personally arranged for individuals to park on Wood between Madison and Warren. Emails also confirm the management-level employee’s knowledge and participation in the parking scheme. The individual not only actively engaged in the misconduct, but also allowed subordinates to engage in misconduct,” according to the report.
The inspector general’s office recommended that employees who participated in the plot and lied or were evasive should be fired. OEMC leadership, however, recommended suspensions ranging between five and 30 days. Of the manager, OEMC officials told Ferguson’s office it was “not fully convinced that (the employee) set out to deliberately mislead OIG.”
At the time, OEMC Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau told the Tribune she would work to ensure such a scheme was not repeated and that the department planned ethics training to prevent similar violations.
“It is a privilege to serve the public as a city employee, and we expect all employees to adhere to the highest ethical standards,” Tate-Nadeau said.
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