(NewsWorthy.news) – The Democratic mayor of Chicago reportedly spent over $30,000 of political campaign money on hair and makeup expenses since he took to the trails last year.
A new report shows that Brandon Johnson, who replaced the controversial Lori Lightfoot in the 2023 election, used earnings from fundraising to pay for his own personal grooming services. The money used was donated to his campaign, called Friends of Brandon Johnson.
Election board records detail how the liberal mayor spent over $30,000 on personal hair and makeup in 2023. Nearly all of the funds were given to Denise Milloy’s Makeup Majic, who describes herself as a “skincare enthusiast.” Her business is operated out of a house in the Windy City’s South Side. Over 30 separate transactions were made to Milloy between 2023 and 2024.
According to the report, the expenses were described as “candidate makeup” for a variety of appearances, including TV, debates, and election day. Following Johnson’s victory and assumption of his mayoral position, the payments to Milloy were categorized as “event expenses.”
The makeup artist told reporters she is “not at liberty” to talk about her work with Johnson. However, as noted by the report, Johnson’s campaign previously boasted about raising large sums without the help of top donors. A substantial amount of his fundraising reportedly came from labor unions and “working class people.”
Bill Neidhardt, the mayor’s campaign adviser, told the media that Johnson “does not” use taxpayer funds “in preparation” for his public appearances. Rather, he spends fundraised money on business run by black and female Americans so they can earn “a fair wage” for “preparing the mayor” and his campaign team for public events.
Another suspicious expense noted in the report is a payment of $4,000 to a salon in Palatine, Illinois. The date of the charge, labeled “event expenses,” is March 27. Despite the records, the business owner denied any dealings with Johnson. Neidhardt also said the transaction was entered incorrectly, saying that the “wrong” salon was written in the books and that the local business which received the payment helped prepare Johnson’s team for “multiple events.”
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