Dr. Ngozi Ezike, former head of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) who oversaw the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been fined $150,000 for violating Illinois’ ethics laws.
The violation stems from Ezike’s acceptance of a position as CEO of Sinai Chicago, a medical nonprofit funded and regulated by the IDPH, within a year of her resignation from the department in March 2022. This act violated Illinois’ “revolving door prohibition” law, which bars certain high-ranking state officials from taking jobs with entities that received substantial state contracts or were subject to state regulation within the previous year.
According to the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission, Sinai Chicago had $4.2 million in contracts with the IDPH in the year before Ezike’s departure. Despite this, Ezike accepted the CEO role in June 2022 with an annual base salary of $760,000.
Ezike admitted to the violation and agreed to the settlement but maintained that it was unintentional. Her attorney stated, “[Ezike] thought she did everything right. She thought she was able to accept the job.” Ezike reportedly sought advice from staff and her private attorney before taking the position but ultimately failed to comply with state ethics rules.
A state watchdog agency began investigating her departure in April 2022. In the settlement, Ezike accepted responsibility for the violation, though her attorney emphasized that she did not knowingly or intentionally break the law.
The case underscores the strict requirements of Illinois’ ethics laws for public officials and the importance of ensuring compliance when transitioning to private or nonprofit roles.
