The Ministry of Justice to investigate Chicago after the mayor's remarks in the hiring of black officials
The Division of Civil Rights of the Ministry of Justice said on Monday that it opened an investigation into the city of Chicago after the comments of Mayor Brandon Johnson put the eminent black officials of his administration on Sunday.
Deputy Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon Written in a letter to Johnson Published on X that she had “authorized an investigation” to find out if Chicago is “engaged in a model or a practice of discrimination” after Johnson's remarks in a church on Sunday.
“If this type of job decisions is taken for high -level positions in your administration, this raises the question of whether such decisions are also made for lower level positions,” wrote Dhillon.
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Johnson declared in the remarks of the Apostolic Church of God that the deputy mayor, the director of operations, the budget director and the others are all blacks. Johnson said that some of his detractors criticize him saying that the only thing he talks about “is the hiring of blacks”.
“No, what I say is that when you hire our people, we are still looking for everyone,” he said.
“Having people in my administration who will ensure everyone's interest, and everyone means that you have to seek the interests of blacks, because this has not happened. This is how we ensure long-term sustainable growth,” he added.
Johnson had also criticized the efforts of the Trump administration to “erase us in history”.
“Blacks will be here in this city and in America's cities, protecting this democracy, protecting humanity, because that's what blacks have always done,” he said.
The mayor's office said in a statement that 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,” said the mayor's press office.
Shortly after his second inauguration, President Donald Trump signed a decree put an end to what he described as radical and radical diversity, equity and inclusion “ in federal agencies. He also ordered investigations to hiring practices which, according to him, could promote candidates according to their race or sex.
According to the mayor's office, white and black employees are the majority of staff members, with 30.5% of employees identifying themselves as white and 34.3% identifying themselves as black.
Johnson's office said he was aware that the Ministry of Justice had published a letter and that he was waiting for an official receipt and that his lawyer for the company would then examine him.
The Civil Rights Division underwent a major transformation since Dhillon took over during Trump's second term, an official calling for a “full bloodbath” departure.
More broadly, the Ministry of Justice has targeted Trump's perceived political enemies since his return to the post for a second term. In January, the Ministry of Justice said it had dismissed several lawyers for former special lawyer Jack Smith, who had played a role in pursuing Trump on his classified documents management and his conduct linked to January 6, 2021, Capitol Riot.
Trump has published decrees during the establishment of large law firms that have been involved in pursuing it or its administration. He also authorized the Attorney General Pam Bondi to recommend canceling law enforcement authorizations or ending federal contracts with law firms if she found their prosecution against the “unreasonable” or “vexatory” administration.
