Chicago alderman slams mayor's hiring practices as 'giant leap in the wrong direction' amid DOJ probe

A Chicago alderman says the metropolis is taking a "giant leap successful the incorrect direction" aft the Department of Justice announced it is investigating Mayor Brandon Johnson's hiring practices.

During a May 18 work astatine the Apostolic Church of God, Johnson responded to radical who claimed helium lone talked astir hiring Black people.

"No, what I’m saying is, erstwhile you prosecute our people, we ever look retired for everybody else. We are the astir generous radical connected the planet," helium said. "I'm laying that retired due to the fact that erstwhile you ask, 'How bash we guarantee that our radical get a accidental to turn their business,' having radical successful my medication that volition look retired for the interests of everyone, and everyone means you person to look retired for the interests of Black folks."

Johnson mentioned apical officials who service successful his medication and emphasized their race. One illustration included his lawman politician of concern and economical development, a Black woman.

DOJ LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO BLUE STATE CITY OVER ALLEGED RACE-BASED HIRING

Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks to demonstrators successful Grant Park May 1, 2025, successful Chicago. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

After his remarks, Harmeet K. Dhillon, the adjunct lawyer wide for the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, notified Johnson his medication is being investigated to spot if it utilizes discriminatory hiring practices.

Read the missive here

"Considering these remarks, I person authorized an probe to find whether the City of Chicago is engaged successful a signifier oregon signifier of favoritism arsenic acceptable distant above. If these benignant of hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions successful your administration, past it begs the question whether specified decisions are besides being made for lower-level positions," Dhillon said.

Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez told Fox News Digital he's gladsome the DOJ is looking into the Johnson administration's hiring practices, saying helium thinks galore Chicagoans person the aforesaid concern.

CHICAGO'S MAYOR JOHNSON IS SO FOCUSED ON RACE HE CAN'T SEE THE TRUTH ABOUT HUMANITY

"I americium gladsome that they are looking into it. I deliberation it validates the concerns that galore Chicagoans person had that Brandon Johnson is simply a mayor, not for the full city, but for lone 1 demographic," Lopez said. "There are tens of thousands of individuals who enactment for the metropolis of Chicago who consciousness arsenic though they person been near retired of promotions, near retired of advancement oregon adjacent near retired from being hired arsenic a full adjacent connected the beforehand line. And I deliberation that needs to beryllium looked into by the Department of Justice."

Lopez said helium thinks the metropolis is taking steps successful the incorrect absorption successful the mode it hires.

Democratic Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez discusses the emergence successful transgression successful the Windy City connected "America Reports." (FOX News)

"This is conscionable 1 bittersweet measurement backwards for the City of Chicago to person the politician articulate truthful passionately that helium prefers to prosecute 1 taste demographic astatine the disbursal of each others. It doesn't marque consciousness to maine how, successful the 21st century, we've done truthful overmuch to effort to determination beyond seeing each different conscionable solely based connected race, that we are present taking a elephantine leap successful the incorrect direction," helium said.

The alderman said determination are Black Chicago residents helium talks to who disagree with Johnson erstwhile it comes to hiring decisions.

"Let maine beryllium 100%, 110% wide connected this note. There are African Americans who don't similar that connection either. There are galore well-qualified leaders of departments who enactment blood, sweat and tears into lifting up Chicago, who present person been trivialized by his comments and are viewed done a lens of they're conscionable present due to the fact that they're Black," Lopez added.

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The Chicago skyline (Getty)

In comments made aft the DOJ launched its investigation, Johnson said it came from a spot of fear.

"You tin archer erstwhile idiosyncratic is fearful is due to the fact that they enactment out," Johnson said. "We person a president that is screaming and having tantrums close present due to the fact that we person an medication that reflects the metropolis of Chicago, but helium would overmuch alternatively person administrations that bespeak the state club. Period."

Fox News Digital reached retired to Johnson for comment.

Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report.