Chicago’s Chief Financial Officer quits Brandon Johnson admin after just 3 months over risk of compromising ‘integrity’

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s chief financial officer has resigned, saying that continuing in the role would require her to compromise her integrity. Ashlee Gabrysch, a former Wall Street executive, held the position for just three months.

“As the City of Chicago’s Chief Financial Officer, there is nothing more important than my fiduciary duty to the City and its taxpayers. The Chief Financial Officer’s statements about city finances are not idle chatter: they are relied upon by investors, ratings agencies, City Council, and taxpayers. The CFO must act scrupulously to ensure they are always accurate and complete,” Gabrysch said in a statement.

“Throughout my career, I have remained committed to upholding the highest standards of financial integrity and transparency, and in my short time as Chief Financial Officer, I have faithfully discharged this duty,” she added. “It has become apparent, however, that to continue in this role would be to compromise my integrity and professional obligations. I therefore have concluded that I must step down from my role, and hereby tender my resignation.”

The resignation comes as Chicago faces a budget stalemate and mounting financial challenges under Johnson’s administration. Grabrysch was hired in August to replace Steven Mahr after he abruptly resigned. Mahr had replaced Jill Jaworski, who left in January after the City Council rejected Johnson’s proposed corporate head tax.

In response to Garbysch’s resignation, the mayor’s office pushed back against her characterization. It also accused her of failing to fulfill responsibilities in the role.

“The City of Chicago is facing a serious budget crisis following decades of mismanagement. It is concerning that, during her short tenure, Ashlee was largely absent during critical periods of the City’s budget preparation process,” the city’s statement said. “Additionally, her decision to direct the City Treasurer to issue a $75 million payment without proper legal authority or following the required processes raises serious concerns.”

“Our administration made multiple attempts to meet with her to discuss this action and seek an explanation, including shortly before her public resignation. Those attempts went unresolved,” the statement continued. “Given the seriousness of these concerns, we will refer the matter to the city’s Office of Inspector General for independent review. We welcome a full review of the conduct at issue.”

Gabrysch responded to the mayor’s office by accusing the administration of deflecting attention from the issues at hand.