Twenty-four hours after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson proudly proclaimed the number of Black city officials he’s hired, officials with the Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Justice announced they are investigating the city’s hiring practices.
On Monday afternoon, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division sent a letter to Johnson explaining it was opening an investigation to determine whether the city of Chicago is “engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race,” following comments Johnson made at a South Side church on Sunday.
At a “Lakeside chat” with Bishop Byron Brazier at the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn, Johnson referred to “our people” while listing out a number of Black city officials that he and his administration hired and placed in top government positions.
“Business and economic neighborhood development, the deputy mayor is a Black woman. Department of planning and development is a Black woman. Infrastructure, deputy mayor is a Black woman. Chief operations officer is a Black man. Budget director is a Black woman. Senior advisor is a Black man,” Johnson said.
Justice officials said they are investigating whether the city is violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race. In the letter to the mayor, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon writes, “Our investigation is based on information suggesting that you have made hiring decisions solely on the basis of race. In your remarks yesterday at the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn, you ‘highlight[ed] the number of Black officials in [your] administration.'”
The letter cites an MSN reprint of a post from The Times of India, which is based on a clip posted by the X account @EndWokeness. The article from the media outlet features the headline: “‘Could he be more racist?’ Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson slammed for ‘only hiring black people’ comment in viral speech.”
In February, Johnson made headlines for saying he should have “cleaned house” more quickly after taking office, referring to holdovers from previous mayoral administrations who he said did not agree with his values.
“If you ain’t with us, you just gotta go,” Johnson said at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church in February.
The DOJ onslaught comes as Trump wages a wider war against systemic diversity, equity and inclusion across the country. Dhillon, who authored the letter, is a former Trump campaign legal adviser and ex-Republican party official.
“When the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that a state or local government employer is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination,” the letter states, “it is the Attorney General’s responsibility to take appropriate action to eliminate that violation.”
As NBC News has reported, the Civil Rights Division has undergone a major transformation since Dhillon took over, with one official calling an onslaught of departures “a complete bloodbath.” More than a dozen senior lawyers — many with decades of experience working under presidents of both parties — have been reassigned, the current and former officials say. Some have resigned in frustration after they were moved to less desirable roles unrelated to their expertise, according to the sources.
Johnson’s office responded to the DOJ investigation in a statement, saying: “Mayor Johnson is proud to have the most diverse administration in the history of our city. Our administration reflects the diversity and values of Chicago. Unfortunately, the current federal administration does not reflect either. We are aware of the letter issued by the Department of Justice, but are awaiting the official receipt of the letter. Our Corporation Counsel will review it at that time.”
The mayor’s office is 34% Black, 31% white, 24% percent Hispanic, 7% Asian and 5% two or more ethnicities, according to statistics provided by Johnson’s staff.
NBC Chicago has not been able to independently verify whether the current administration is the most diverse in city history.
Next, city attorneys will review the accusations and respond with a possible meeting between the mayor’s office and DOJ. Justice officials said they are concerned if top level Chicago positions are being filled based on race, then they have questions about lower-level jobs, as well. Typically, these pattern and practice civil rights investigations take 12 to 18 months, and often end in consent decrees. These are not criminal investigations but sometimes lead to criminal referrals.
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