Chicago’s progressive mayor Brandon Johnson spent $30,000 on MAKEUP during his first year in office
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson managed to spend $30,000 on personal care in one year, with most of the money spent on makeup.
To pay for makeup and hair appointments, Johnson used the money his supporters contributed to his Friends of Brandon Johnson campaign fund.
Most of the $30,000 went to Denise Milloy, a makeup artist and self-proclaimed “skin care enthusiast” who operates on the city’s south side.
The rest of the amount, $4,000, was spent on hair appointments at a beauty salon.
Johnson, a progressive Democratwas elected mayor in 2023 after defeating Paul Vallas in a runoff election.
In one year, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson burned through $30,000 on personal care, with most of the money spent on makeup
Between 2023 and 2024, Johnson made more than thirty payments to Denise Milloy’s Makeup Majic
Most of the $30,000 went to Denise Milloy, a makeup artist and self-proclaimed “skin care enthusiast” who operates on the South Side
Between 2023 and 2024, Johnson made more than 30 payments to Milloy’s ‘Makeup Majic’.
The payments that preceded the election of the mayor are listed under headings such as: ‘Make-up of the candidates for TV’, ‘Make-up of the candidates’, ‘Make-up of the candidates’ and ‘Make-up of the candidates for debate.’
However, after Johnson was elected, his payments to ‘Makeup Majic’ fell under the vague and generic title of ‘campaign expenses’.
When pressed by the Chicago Sun Times Denise Milloy declined to comment on the matter, saying she “doesn’t have the freedom” to talk about her work.
Campaign records show the mayor used financial contributions from his supporters to pay the bill.
A spokesman for Johnson had previously noted how proud the mayor was that many of these campaign contributions came from “working class people.”
Bill Neidhardt, a campaign adviser for Johnson, tried to put a positive spin on the story by praising the mayor for not using taxpayer money to pay for his hair and makeup appointments.
In a written statement to the Chicago Sun TimesNeidhart said, “The mayor spends no taxpayer dollars to prepare for the many public appearances and events he attends every day.”
Neidhardt did not answer questions about whether or not the payments were intended for anyone other than the mayor. He also did not comment on the choice of having a makeup artist on retainer.
The campaign adviser instead focused on how Johnson’s spending benefited Black- and women-owned businesses.
Neidhardt wrote: “He is using his own campaign funds to pay black- and women-owned businesses a fair wage to compensate for their work in preparing the mayor and individuals associated with the campaign for public appearances, events, media segments and other possibilities. .’
After Johnson was elected, his payments to Makeup Majic fell under the vague and general title of “campaign expenses”
A spokesman for Johnson had previously noted how proud the mayor was that many of these campaign contributions came from “working class people.”
Johnson’s campaign adviser tried to put a positive spin on the story by praising the mayor for not using taxpayer money to pay for hair and makeup services
The consultant dismissed concerns about costs, saying that “hair and makeup services are commonplace among senior government officials.”
While this is true, it appears that Mayor Johnson has spent far more than other elected officials in this area.
Last year, Johnson’s predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, spent a total of about $2,000 on “event makeup services.”
In 2019, Cook County Board Chairman Toni Preckwinkle paid a southern woman $217 for makeup services.
And between 2018 and 2022, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who is sponsoring much of his campaign fund with his own wealth, paid a South Side beauty salon $6,000 for “hair and makeup.”
Johnson has spent far more than other elected officials on hair and makeup services; in the photo: Mayor Johnson and his wife Stacie during a state dinner at the White House
Neidhardt further defended Johnson, saying it was important for the mayor to look good.
“He’s mayor 24 hours a day,” the advisor said. ‘Appearances matter.’
This became known in January of this year Johnson struggled with his approval ratings after just eight months on the job.
Only about a fifth of voters in the Windy City said they approve of the first-year mayor in a new poll conducted by Democratic pollster Tulchin Research.
When asked how they thought Johnson was performing, only 21 percent said they approved of his performance as mayor.
Seven percent of respondents rated Johnson’s performance as ‘excellent’, while a further 14 percent responded that it was ‘good’.
Meanwhile, a whopping 69 percent disapprove of the mayor’s actions, with 27 percent rating it as “bad” and 43 percent as “bad.”
