Recent mayoral runner-up Paul Vallas is being fined $10,500 for violating the city’s campaign finance rules.

       In November, the Chicago Board of Ethics voted unanimously to find probable cause Vallas — who lost to Brandon Johnson in the April 2023 runoff election — had violated a rule that limits campaign contributions from entities doing business with the city.

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       The board found Vallas’ campaign committee accepted a $5,000 contribution from an unnamed entity, over and above the $1,500 cap on contributions to candidates for city office, and issued the fine this week.

       Asked about the fine, Vallas said he had not yet heard from the board about it, and that he donated past excess contributions to charity rather than refunding them to the donor.

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       Johnson beat Vallas 52%-48% after the two men advanced to the head-to-head election. Since then, Vallas, a consultant and former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, has joined the Illinois Policy Institute as an adviser.

       If Vallas had refunded the excess amount within 10 days of receiving the notice, the board would have dismissed the matter. He is both the chair and treasurer of his campaign fund.

       In December, the contributor said they “had made a good-faith effort to secure a refund … but received no response” from Vallas’ camp, according to the ethics board’s summary notice.

       The board asked Vallas’ campaign to explain itself, but did not receive a response either.

       Now, his fund faces a fine equal to three times the amount of the excess contribution: $10,500.

       At the end of last year, that campaign committee, Vallas for Mayor, had a fund balance of just $62.10 and outstanding debts of $22,100, according to state records.

       Court records indicate Vallas is still trying to claw back hundreds of thousands of dollars he claimed a campaign consultant received for little or no work. Last spring, Vallas sued Chimaboa Enyia — who was brought on by the campaign to help win over Black voters — for $700,000 Enya was paid for work Vallas claimed was not performed. Enyia said the suit was unfounded. That case has a scheduled hearing later this week.

       aquig@chicagotribune.com

       Originally Published: Jan 23, 2024 at 4:07 pm