'Blood on your hands': 3 highlights from House hearing with 'sanctuary city' mayors

By Samantha Kamman, Christian Post Reporter Friday, March 07, 2025

1. Chicago mayor pressed over Gucci bag, other gifts

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson not only faced questions about immigration policies, but Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, also pressed the city leader about his alleged “secret gift room.” 

Earlier this year, the Office of Inspector General reported that Johnson’s office accepted various gifts, including designer handbags and jewelry, on behalf of the city without publicly reporting them. The OIG also reported that the mayor’s office denied access to the gift log and told it to file a Freedom of Information Act request.

“Those are not my personal gifts,” Johnson answered during the hearing. “Those are the gifts of the city of Chicago. That’s why you’re aware they exist because they are within the law.”

Gill then asked Johnson about a Gucci tote bag the mayor reportedly received in March 2024, inquiring whether the leader knew who gifted the item to the city of Chicago. The Republican lawmaker questioned Johnson about Hugo Boss cufflinks and a Kate Spade purse that were reportedly among the gifts received. 

The Chicago mayor started to say that he agreed to attend the hearing to demonstrate how welcoming the city is before Gill reclaimed his time. 

“This raises serious ethical concerns,” the Texas lawmaker said. “You’re providing an enormous amount of aid to illegal aliens, aiding and abetting criminals who have come into our country illegally, and you yourself are receiving an enormous amount of gifts and you won’t even tell us where they’re coming from.”

The lawmaker earlier asked the mayor if he supports taxpayer-funded abortions for illegal immigrants. The mayor replied that he supports the “reproductive rights of all people and all women,” which Gill asserted meant yes. 

Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Chicago, the state of Illinois and Cook County over their sanctuary city laws. The suit accused Johnson and other Chicago officials of thwarting federal immigration laws, arguing that this has resulted in “countless criminals being released into Chicago who should have been held for immigration removal from the United States.”