Nell Salzman, Alice Yin and Gregory Royal Pratt - Chicago Tribune (TNS)

CHICAGO -- Mayor Brandon Johnson declined to resign his position with Chicago Public Schools after a high-ranking CPS official raised ethics concerns about a potential conflict of interest, according to a memo obtained by the Tribune.

CPS Chief Talent Officer Ben Felton wrote a memo less than two months after the mayor's May 2023 inauguration documenting conversations Felton had with Johnson's deputy mayor for education, Jen Johnson, about their leaves from the Chicago Teachers Union. Union members can sometimes take leaves of absence to take other jobs and return later.

kAmx? E96 >6>@[ 52E65 yF?6 ag[ a_ab[ u6=E@? HC@E6 E92E 96 E@=5 s6AFEJ |2J@C y@9?D@?[ H9@ :D ?@E C6=2E65 E@ |2J@C y@9?D@?[ E92E ":E H2D A@E6?E:2==J 2 4@?7=:4E @7 :?E6C6DE 7@C |2J@C y@9?D@? 2?5 s6AFEJ |2J@C y@9?D@? E@ C6>2:? @? 2 r%& =62G6 7C@> r!$]"k^Am kAmu6=E@? D2:5 96 H2D "4@?46C?65 E92E :E 4@F=5 36 2 A@E6?E:2= 4@?7=:4E @7 :?E6C6DE 7@C E96 >2J@C E@ 36 2? 6>A=@J66 @7 2? @C82?:K2E:@? E92E 96 H2D @G6CD66:?8 WE9C@F89 E96 2AA@:?E>6?E @7 E96 q@2C5 @7 t5F42E:@?X]"k^AmkAm"|J AC:>2CJ 4@?46C? :D E92E E96 |2J@C 2?5 s6AFEJ |2J@C H@F=5 36 23=6 E@ 8F2C2?E66 7FEFC6 6>A=@J>6?E H:E9 r!$ :7 E96J 49@D6 E@ C6EFC? E@ E96 5:DEC:4E[ 2D @FC 4FCC6?E AC24E:46 :D E@ A=246 6>A=@J66D C6EFC?:?8 7C@> 2 r%& =62G6 :?E@ E96 C62DD:8?65 E62496C A@@=[" u6=E@? HC@E6] "(9:=6 x :>28:?6 :E :D F?=:<6=J E92E |2J@C y@9?D@? H@F=5 C6EFC? E@ E96 4=2DDC@@>[ E9:D :D ?@E 2? :>>2E6C:2= 36?67:E]"k^AmkAm$:?46 96 H2D 6=64E65[ y@9?D@? 92D 2AA@:?E65 @G6C 2 5@K6? ?6H >6>36CD E@ E96 D49@@= 3@2C5]k^AmkAmu6=E@? DF886DE65 |2J@C y@9?D@? C6D:8? 7C@> r!$ 2?5 E92E s6AFEJ |2J@C y@9?D@? E2<6 2 A6CD@?2= =62G6 @7 23D6?46]k^AmkAmx? |2J @7 a_ab[ s6AFEJ |2J@C y@9?D@? D2:5 E96 >2J@C "5:5 ?@E H2?E E@ =62G6 9:D A@D:E:@? D@ 2D E@ D:8?2= 9:D DFAA@CE 7@C 65F42E:@? 2?5 E62496CD[" 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 >6>@]k^AmkAmx? 62C=J yF?6[ u6=E@? C64@>>6?565 s6AFEJ |2J@C y@9?D@? E2=< H:E9 E96 4:EJ'D 6E9:4D 25G:D@C] w6 H2D E@=5 E6? 52JD =2E6C E92E A6CD@? "5:5 ?@E 92G6 4@?46C?D 23@FE E96> 36:?8 @? 2 =62G6 7C@> r%& 2?5 E92E E96J H@F=5 '<66A E96 DE2EFD BF@ 7@C ?@H['" 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 >6>@]k^AmkAmy@9?D@?'D AC6DD D64C6E2CJ[ tC:? r@??6==J[ E@=5 E96 %C:3F?6 E9:D H66< E96 >2J@C ":D ?@E 2 r%& >6>36C]" $96 D2:5 96 6?565 3@E9 9:D 6>A=@J>6?E 2?5 >6>36CD9:A H:E9 E96 E62496CD F?:@? :? pAC:= a_ab] "w:D =62G6 DE2EFD 2E r!$ :D D:>:=2C E@ E92E @7 @E96C AF3=:4 @77:4:2=D H9@ 7@C>6C=J D6CG65 :? @E96C AF3=:4 D6CG:46 2C62D DF49 2D r!s[ rus[ 2?5 r!$ 2D E62496CD] %96C6 :D ?@E 2 4@?7=:4E[" D96 D2:5]k^AmkAm(96? E96 %C:3F?6 2D<65 23@FE y@9?D@?'D r%& DE2EFD 62C=:6C :? }@G6>36C[ r@??6==J D2:5[ "rFCC6?E=J[ E96 >2J@C @3G:@FD=J :D ?@E 6>A=@J65 3J r%& 3FE :D 2=D@ @? =62G6[ =682==J[ @? r!$]"k^Am kAmr@??6==J 2=D@ D2:5 =2DE >@?E9 E92E y@9?D@?'D 6I\56AFEJ 65F42E:@? >2J@C y6? y@9?D@?[ H9@ E@@< =62G6 7C@> 96C r:EJ w2== C@=6 :? ~4E@36C[ H2D ?@E 6>A=@J65 @C @? =62G6 7C@> 6>A=@J>6?E 2E r%&]k^AmkAmr!$ rt~ !65C@ |2CE:?6K'D 2EE@C?6J :?4=F565 E96 >6>@ :? 9:D >@DE C646?E 4@FCE 7:=:?8 4@?E6DE:?8 E96 D49@@= 3@2C5'D 2EE6>AE E@ 7:C6 9:> 2?5 5:>:?:D9 9:D C@=6 2D E96 5:DEC:4E'D =6256C]k^AmkAm%96 4@?46C? 7C@> u6=E@? C67=64ED 2 3C@256C A@=:E:42= 9FC5=6 y@9?D@? 92D 72465 2D >2J@C] y@9?D@? D6CG65 7@C J62CD 2D 2 9:89\C2?<:?8 E62496CD F?:@? @77:4:2= 2?5 E96 A@H6C7F= =23@C 8C@FA DA6?E >:==:@?D 324<:?8 9:D 42>A2:8?]k^AmkAmpD 2 42?5:52E6[ y@9?D@? D@F89E E@ C62DDFC6 E96 AF3=:4 E92E 96 H@F=5 36 >2J@C 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 2?5 4@F=5 36 2? 9@?6DE 3C@<6C H:E9 E96 F?:@?]k^AmkAmx? 2 |2C49 a_ab CF?@77 5632E6[ y@9?D@? 2?DH6C65 2 BF6DE:@? 23@FE 9:D 42>A2:8?'D 962GJ 56A6?56?46 @? r%& 7F?5D 3J G@H:?8 E@ =62G6 9:D C@=6 :? E96 F?:@? 2?5 "36 E96 >2J@C @7 E96 r:EJ @7 r9:428@ 7@C 6G6CJ@?6]"k^AmkAm"x 92G6 2 7:5F4:2CJ C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ E@ E96 A6@A=6 @7 E96 4:EJ @7 r9:428@[ 2?5 @?46 x'> >2J@C @7 E96 4:EJ @7 r9:428@[ x H:== ?@ =@?86C 36 2 >6>36C @7 E96 r9:428@ %62496CD &?:@?[" y@9?D@? D2:5] "x H:== ?@ =@?86C A2J 5F6D E@ E96 r9:428@ %62496CD &?:@?] x H:== 92G6 E96 36DE ;@3 :? E96 H@C=5[ E@ 36 2? 2>32DD25@C 7@C 2 H@C=5 4=2DD 4:EJ[ 6DA64:2==J 2D H6 255C6DD E96 4C:E:42= :DDF6D]"k^AmkAmqFE 2D >2J@C[ 96 92D C6A62E65=J 72465 244FD2E:@?D @7 72G@C:E:D> E@ E96 E62496CD F?:@?] %92E =:?6 @7 4C:E:4:D> 92D DE625:=J 3F:=E FA 6G6C D:?46 :E 3642>6 AF3=:4 E9:D 72== E92E y@9?D@? 2?5 E96 r%& H6C6 =:?:?8 FA 282:?DE |2CE:?6K 27E6C 96 C67FD65 E@ E2<6 @FE 2 9:89\:?E6C6DE =@2? E@ 4@G6C 2 5:DAFE65 A6?D:@? A2J>6?E 2D H6== 2D E96 DE2CE @7 E96 ?6IE E62496CD' F?:@? 4@?EC24E]k^AmkAm$:?46 E96?[ y@9?D@? 92D DECF88=65 E@ @FDE |2CE:?6K[ 2 9@=5@G6C 7C@> 7@C>6C |2J@C {@C: {:89E7@@E'D 25>:?:DEC2E:@?[ 2?5 925 E@ 2AA@:?E 2?5 C62AA@:?E 9:D D49@@= 3@2C5 2AA@:?E66D F?E:= :E >@G65 E@ 7:C6 E96 rt~ =2DE H66<] }@H[ H:E9 r%&\7C:6?5=J 7246D CF??:?8 E96 q@2C5 @7 t5F42E:@?[ >2J@C'D @77:46 2?5 -- A6C92AD D@@? -- r!$[ @AA@?6?ED @7 E96 F?:@? 2C6 D@F?5:?8 E96 2=2C> 2E H92E E96J D2J :D E96 F?:@? 32C82:?:?8 H:E9 :ED6=7 5FC:?8 E62496CD 4@?EC24E E2=<D]k^Amk9C ^mkAm©a_ac r9:428@ %C:3F?6] ':D:E 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]49:428@EC:3F?6]4@>Qm49:428@EC:3F?6]4@>k^2m] s:DEC:3FE65 3J %C:3F?6 r@?E6?E p86?4J[ {{r]k^Am