Chico returning donations of cab owner’s partners

On New Year’s Eve, mayoral hopeful Gery Chico returned a $25,000 campaign donation from his law firm’s client: Chicago taxicab mogul Symon Garber, who faces $9 million in fines from City Hall for illegally operating salvaged vehicles as taxis.

Last week, four of Garber’s business partners donated a total of $20,000 to Chico’s campaign fund. Chico will return that money, too.

“Our campaign completes a vetting process of received donations every week,” said Chico’s spokeswoman, Brooke Anderson. “The checks you reference came in unsolicited and hadn’t been vetted yet. Gery has since instructed the campaign to return them.”

Chico’s law partnter Marcus Nunes – who is also treasurer of Chico’s campaign fund – is defending Garber against the $9 million sought by City Hall’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, the agency that regulates cabs.