The U.S. Department of Justice began an investigation into Mayor Brandon Johnson Monday over allegations of race-based discrimination, citing his recent remarks at a Woodlawn church in which he emphasized how many Black people he’s hired in his administration.
Johnson received a letter from assistant attorney general Harmeet Dhillon saying there is “reasonable cause” to believe the mayor “made hiring decisions solely on the basis of race,” in potential violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The probe was the latest attack on Johnson, a freshman progressive mayor, from Republican President Donald Trump since he returned to the White House this year and began cracking down on liberal-leaning cities.
Dhillon’s letter quoted several examples of what she said suggests discriminatory hiring practices from the mayor’s Sunday panel with Bishop Byron Brazier of Apostolic Church of God. The appearance was part of a series of stops Johnson has been making on the South and West sides to shore up his Black voter base.
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Johnson in his Sunday remarks shouted out six of his top deputies as Black women or men, sparking outrage from conservative social media accounts. The mayor has touted the Black representation in his administration in many of his interviews this month commemorating the two-year anniversary of his time in office, saying it’s part of protecting the interests of Black Chicagoans and beyond.
“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 Sunday. “No. What I’m saying is when you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else. We are the most generous people on the planet. I don’t know too many cultures that have play cousins.”
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Johnson has long touted his staff’s diversity as a point of pride. In March, he said his leadership brought in “more Black and brown folks” to top city spots and in the City Council during a news conference.
“And even with more Black and brown folks, it’s not like non folks of color are losing,” he added.
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Asked about issues retaining staff in an interview with the Tribune earlier this month, Johnson responded by again touting his administration’s diversity.
His staff includes “some of the most talented people” and is 45% Black, 25% Brown, 8% Asian and 30% white, Johnson said.
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