Exclusive details about City Hall's Chicago Democratic convention obligations

WASHINGTON — An agreement between City Hall, the Democratic National Convention Committee and the Chicago 2024 Host Committee, obtained by the Sun-Times, reveals for the first time details about the city’s obligations when it comes to security, transportation and more for the August event.

The agreement for the 2024 Democratic National Convention was signed on April 12, 2023, when the Democratic National Committee announced Chicago’s winning bid.

The Sun-Times obtained the agreement, which was not made public, through the Freedom of Information Act. It is one of several separate contracts with local government entities covering services needed for the convention, being held Aug. 19-22 at the United Center and McCormick Place.

 The 2024 Democratic convention in Chicago will be funded mainly through four sources:

• The host committee pledged to raise at least $84.697 million and aims to collect $90 million to $100 million from private donors, such as individuals, corporations, labor unions.

• The Democratic National Convention Committee Inc., which does its own fundraising from contributors.

• Taxpayers across the nation are kicking in for Chicago as well as for Milwaukee, where the Republican presidential convention will be held July 15-18. Each city is getting $75 million each, mainly through Justice Department federal grants, to help cover security costs.

• Chicago taxpayers will pick up some unspecified costs. City Hall routinely covers extra expenses for some major events.

Among the city and host committee obligations, according to the agreement:

• Appointing a City Hall official as the administration’s representative, subject to the approval of the convention committee and host committee. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s spokesperson Ronnie Reese said Tuesday that John Roberson, chief operating officer for the mayor, is the liaison.

Roberson told the Sun-Times he oversees all city activities and preparations for the convention. He took over May 1 following the departure of Johnson's former chief of staff, Richard Guidice.

• The city must expedite requests for permits, variances, licenses or any other approvals needed in connection to the convention, from building out the United Center to parades and public gatherings.

• Starting on Aug. 17, the city will provide — based on a security plan developed with other agencies — police, fire, security, bomb disposal, emergency and rescue services “and all other goods or services related to security” for the convention itself and in and around the convention. For months now, the Chicago Police Department has worked on security strategy for the Chicago area with the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service and other local, state and federal law enforcement and emergency services agencies.

• Who pays for extra convention staffing, equipment purchases? Anything over what the city would “normally and commonly” spend, as required by the security plan, for policing major events — and the agreement has no formula for determining that amount — would be covered by the Justice Department grant or by grants from other federal agencies. There also could be in-kind services and personnel provided by the federal government.

• A key clause said the host committee “shall be obligated either to directly pay for or to reimburse” the city for “excess security costs” provided the host committee andconvention committee “give prior written approval” before the costs are incurred.

Starting Aug. 17, the city must provide:

• Police escorts for all convention committee personnel "delivering credentials to state delegations and the media at their respective hotels.”

• “Armed security patrols” if needed for convention offices plus transportation and parking staging areas.

• “Special” security for “delegates and other dignitaries.”

• Regarding demonstrations and parades, during the convention period, the city “shall” provide “security for an appropriate demonstration area in or in close proximity to the Venue Licenses Premises (United Center and McCormick Place) “for groups and organizations exercising First Amendment rights and a parade route within appropriate proximity” to the venues.

• The city is obligated to create a plan for “efficient transportation” for convention participants.

• The CTA, through a separate agreement, must provide air-conditioned buses for convention use and if it does not, the host committee must obtain and pay for them.

• When it comes to the city and Host Committee creating logos or merchandise related to the convention – the Democratic National Convention Committee must give permission if any official convention logos are used.

• The city agreed to keep most details of convention planning confidential — “except,” the agreement says, “as strictly required by the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. … and in such cases, only after giving the convention committee "reasonable notice and an opportunity to object.”

• As for talking to journalists, City Hall also agreed to “not communicate with any member of the press” regarding “proprietary information concerning the convention … without express prior approval" of the convention committee. The city "shall promptly identify all queries from the press, in whatever form or circumstances they are made" to the convention committee's communication staff.