Left-wing Chicago mayor spent $30,000 on makeup in one year: report

Progressive Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has spent $30,000 on personal grooming, primarily for makeup and hair appointments in just one year. The money used to finance these expenditures were contributions made by supporters to the Friends of Brandon Johnson campaign fund. 

The bulk of the money was paid to Denise Milloy, a makeup artist and "skincare enthusiast" based on the south side of Chicago, with an additional $4,000 spent on hair appointments. Johnson made over 30 payments to Milloy between 2023 and 2024, per the Daily Mail.  

During his campaign, these payments were categorized as "candidate makeup for TV" and "candidate makeup," while post-election expenses were labeled more generally as "campaign expenses." 

Bill Neidhardt, a campaign advisor for Johnson, issued a written statement to the Chicago Sun Times, emphasizing that taxpayer dollars were not used for the mayor's grooming expenses 

"The mayor does not spend taxpayer dollars in preparation for the many public appearances and events he attends every day," Neidhardt stated. 

In the past, Johnson’s campaign applauded the supporters that had donated to the Friends of Brandon Johnson campaign fund, publicly stating that the fund primarily came from “working-class people.” 

Neidhardt did not comment on whether the payments covered anyone other than the mayor but highlighted that Johnson's spending supports black and women-owned businesses. 

“[Johnson] is using his own campaign funds to pay Black- and women-owned businesses a fair wage in compensation for their work in preparing the mayor and individuals associated with the campaign for public appearances, events, media segments, and other availabilities.” 

The campaign fund's usage for personal grooming contrasts sharply with the expenses of other politicians. Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot spent around $2,000 on makeup services last year, while Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker spent $6,000 on hair and makeup at a beauty salon between 2018 and 2022. 

Neidhardt dismissed concerns about the high expenses, asserting, “He’s mayor 24-7” and that “appearances matter."