Johnson's order could make contractors 'revisit' practices
[August 27, 2026]
By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says his
administration wants to know if city contractors reflect the diversity
of the people whose tax dollars pay for their work.
Johnson signed an executive order Wednesday to establish new procurement
standards for companies that do business with Chicago.
The order requires current contractors and subcontractors to disclose
whether they have received more than $500,000 through contracts with
government entities or law enforcement agencies and whether they have
faced certain civil or administrative proceedings that alleged excessive
force, unlawful detention, unconstitutional policing or other violations
of federal or state civil rights laws.
Johnson said his administration cannot control decisions made in
Washington, but it can control what it does with the people’s money in
Chicago.
“We are using the enormous purchasing power of the city of Chicago to
put our values into practice, strengthening protections against
corruption, workplace discrimination and wage theft, demanding greater
transparency from the corporations that receive our tax dollars,” the
mayor said before signing the order at Arise Chicago on the city’s West
Side.
The order allows the mayor to create a task force with up to 12 members
who can propose additional procurement standards.
Johnson said companies are walking away from diversity commitments while
the Trump administration wants to stop collecting information about who
gets opportunities and who is left behind.
“Well, not in Chicago. If you want to do business with this city, we
want to know whether the people leading your company reflect the
diversity of the communities whose tax dollars are paying your
contracts,” Johnson said.
Dorian Warren, co-president of Community Change Action and spokesperson
for Not With Our Money, said companies that commit a public integrity
violation could be disqualified from city contracts.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson addresses reporters at a press
conference about the Local Government Distributive Fund on the steps
of the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. Photo: Sean Reed / The
Center Square
“And the biggest contractors will have to tell the public who else
is paying them, including law enforcement agencies, and answer for
their record on civil rights,” Warren said.
When asked if his order might prevent any current vendors from doing
business with the city, Johnson said companies will have to revisit
their practices if they wish to carry on.
Chicago Flips Red founder Zoe Leigh said none of the mayor’s
executive orders override federal law or the authority of the
federal government.
“What concerns me is that Chicagoans are dealing with the
consequences of years of reckless spending, including COVID-era
spending, migrant spending and (community violence intervention)
spending, while working and middle-class residents are struggling,”
Leigh told The Center Square.
Leigh said the executive order she would like to see is a forensic
audit of city spending.
“You can’t demand ‘integrity’ from businesses while refusing to give
taxpayers the same level of transparency and accountability
regarding the city’s own spending,” Leigh said.
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