The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson over alleged race-based hiring practices. The move follows remarks the mayor made at a Woodlawn church where he emphasized the number of Black officials in his administration.
In a letter to Johnson, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote there is “reasonable cause” to believe the mayor may have violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by making hiring decisions based solely on race.
“You ‘highlight(ed) the number of Black officials in (your) administration,’” Dhillon quoted Johnson. “You then went on to list each of these individuals, emphasizing their race… to ‘ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business.’”
Johnson’s press secretary confirmed receipt of the letter but declined comment.
“There are some detractors that will push back on me and say, ‘The only thing the mayor talks about is the hiring of Black people,’” Johnson said. “No. What I’m saying is when you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else.”
Federal grants to Chicago could be affected.