Illinois diversity commissioner did not properly disclose $23K side job
[March 03, 2026]
By Jared Strong | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – A member of Illinois' highly-paid diversity
commission disclosed a side job to state officials in a manner that
masked the $22,500 she earned for it, an investigation by The Center
Square found.
Certain state officials are required by law to disclose secondary
sources of income that exceed $7,500 in any year. The disclosures are
required annually to expose potential conflicts of interest.
It is a misdemeanor crime to knowingly file a false or incomplete
disclosure.
In regard to the seven members of the Commission on Equity and
Inclusion, the disclosures have also been a window into their work
schedules. Each commissioner makes about $150,000 a year but have lax
schedules and fewer responsibilities compared with their counterparts
elsewhere in state government.
Further, they are allowed by law to work other paid jobs, unlike other
state board members.
The disclosures and other publicly available information indicate most
of the commissioners have worked other jobs during their tenures.
Some lawmakers and state Republican party leaders have questioned, based
on The Center Square's findings, whether the commissioners' high pay is
warranted, given their responsibilities and performance. They have
promised to question commissioners or staff when they come before their
committees this session.
One of the commissioners key goals is to increase the number of
businesses owned by racial minorities and women that are eligible for
preference in state contracting, but that number has dropped by nearly
half during their tenures.
University side jobs
Commissioner Ennedy Rivera, an attorney, has taught courses at the
University of Illinois Chicago three times in recent years, according to
university records.
Rivera listed the work in her annual disclosures under a section that
pertains to jobs in another "unit of government." That section does not
require people to list how much they earned.
She did not list the side jobs in a different section -- which appears
earlier in the document -- that asks about compensation that was greater
than $7,500. The rules require such jobs to be disclosed in both
sections.
Yet, Rivera's work for the public university exceeded that threshold
twice, including once after she was appointed a commissioner.
University records show she taught a course about conflict management in
2023 and earned $22,500 that year, while she was also collecting her
commission salary.
Rivera did not respond to repeated requests from The Center Square to
explain why the work was partially omitted on her disclosures. She also
fled a commission meeting when The Center Square tried to question her
about the commission's work last month.
The disclosure forms warn that those who knowingly file a false or
incomplete report might be subject to fines of up to $2,500 and
imprisonment of up to one year.
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Commissioner Ennedy Rivera participates during an Illinois
Commission on Equity and Inclusion meeting in Chicago, Feb. 18,
2026. Photo: Jared Strong / The Center Square
The Illinois Secretary of State's office collects and publishes the
disclosures -- which are called statements of economic interest -- and
it can levy fines for late or absent filings. But it said investigations
that pertain to the disclosures' contents are conducted by the Attorney
General's office and declined to comment further.
AG staff in the state and Cook County offices declined to comment for
this article.
Rivera taught classes in 2021, 2023 and 2024 on conflict management and
local government law. Before her appointment to the commission, she was
chief legal council for Chicago's city clerk.
Her work for the university paid $18,000 in 2021, $22,500 in 2023 and
about $6,000 in 2024, university records show. Her disclosures for 2021
and 2023 do not list the work in the section for incomes in excess of
$7,500.
Disclosures that are filed starting this year have a higher threshold of
$8,700.
Other commissioners
Three other commissioners have worked other jobs after they were
appointed, including those that paid more than $7,500, The Center Square
found. Those jobs were in the private sector so details of the pay were
not readily available through open records requests.
Commissioner Bruce Montgomery earned more than $7,500 in 2023 from
Sunshine Enterprises, where he coached business entrepreneurs. Publicly
available information also indicates he runs a digital media company and
hosts a weekly television news show.
Commission Chairperson Nina Harris reported more than $7,500 of income
in 2023 from the Springfield Urban League -- her previous employer --
for human resources work.
Commissioner Richard Costes directed a play last year in Chicago and is
also the co-founder of a business that hosts role-playing games such as
Dungeons and Dragons at bars and other places.
None of the commissioners have responded to interview requests in recent
months about their work, including an in-person request last month after
their monthly meeting in Chicago.
Jared
Strong is an investigative reporter for The Center Square based
in the Midwest. He is a lifelong Iowan who has worked for news
organizations – big and small – for more than 20 years. He and
his wife have three children, a small flock of chickens and an
old Case tractor.
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