Latest news with #34thWard
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chicago City Council passes resolution barring employment for Jan. 6 participants
CHICAGO (WGN) — Alders on Wednesday approved a resolution that calls on the city's human resources department to disqualify any participant of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol from employment with the city. 'These individuals really made it very clear that they did not want to accept the results of the election,' Mayor Brandon Johnson said at his post-council press conference. 'I do believe that as a city we do have to draw the line. We have to set a standard for how we work to continue to do the things that are necessary to make sure that our democracy continues to evolve.' The vote was 43-3, with Alds. Nicholas Sposato (38th Ward), Anthony Napolitano (41st Ward) and James Gardiner (45th Ward) voting against the measure. 'There's 500 that deserve no mercy as far as I'm concerned, those 500 that fought with the police. I have no sympathy for them,' Sposato said. 'But the thousand that were only trespassing? We're going to ruin somebody's life, even though this is nothing. This is a nothingburger.' Gardiner said that while the attack was 'despicable' and that he's never voted for Donald Trump, he had concerns about the legality of the measure. 'Do we have the authority to say yea to somebody and nay to somebody else depending upon the type of crime committed?' he asked his colleagues. 'My concern: is the city setting themselves up for problems in the future?' Ald. Gil Villegas (36th Ward), who previously served in the US Marine Corps., said those who broke into the capitol were 'criminals' who assaulted police officers, vandalized public property and threatened the lives of lawmakers. 'Those who participated in this attack those who encouraged it and those who continue to spread falsehoods to justify it must be held accountable,' he said. 'You should not be able to work for the same government that you are attempting to overthrow.' Ald. Bill Conway (34th Ward), a US Navy reservist who was acting as senior intelligence director of the US European command during the attack, agreed. 'I will only say that is not a day or night I would like to repeat and I say that on behalf of myself, our military and our country,' he said. Villegas was the chief sponsor of the resolution, with Alds. Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward), Bill Conway (34th Ward), and Matt Martin (47th Ward) co-sponsors. Gov. JB Pritzker took similar action at the state level earlier this year. The Chicago Sun-Times notes that more than 50 Illinoisans faced Jan. 6 charges, including Chicago police officer Karol Chwiesiuk, who was later fired. President Donald Trump made good on a long-standing campaign promise, issuing pardons to nearly all Jan. 6 defendants just hours into his second presidency. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Federal trial of ex-Ald. Carrie Austin may not proceed due to her health: judge
A federal judge will soon decide whether the corruption trial of former South Side Ald. Carrie Austin should proceed, citing her worsening health as putting the case in jeopardy. U.S. District Judge John Kness said in a 20-minute hearing Wednesday that he would make a decision April 23 about whether to accept a Northwestern cardiac doctor's opinion that Austin is medically unfit to stand trial. The trial had been set for later this month. He reminded the lawyers that he had not yet made a decision and promised a prompt resolution to the question of whether the former alderman can face a jury after her attorneys first said she was medically unfit in November 2022. That motion came a little more than a year after Austin was accused of bribery, lying to FBI officials and other charges alongside her chief of staff, Chester Wilson. In that motion, her lawyers asked that her case be severed from Wilson's. Federal prosecutors argued that severing the case would only be appropriate if trial preparation and proceedings would endanger Austin's health or life. 'We don't see things like this very often,' Kness said. Austin has been in poor health for years. She collapsed on the City Council floor shortly before she retired her legal team's motion to sever described as suffering from 'chronic and worsening heart failure,' and a breathing condition 'that makes her feel like she is drowning when she lays down, so she can only sleep in a recliner.' In the indictment, officials alleged a developer working on a 91-unit project in Austin's Far South Side ward provided improvements at Austin's home and an investment property Wilson owned, in return for help getting the project through City Council starting in 2016. Austin was not present at Wednesday's hearing, having had her appearance waived. One of her attorneys, Thomas Durkin, said Wednesday that Austin's conditions had prevented her from cooperating with her legal team and he did not believe that would change going forward. He said prosecutors 'completely ignored' the possible toll of trial preparations in making their case: 'If for some reason her health miraculously comes back… then that's a different issue.' 'This is not the case of the century,' he said. 'It is hardly the magnitude of the (disgraced ex-Alderman Edward M.) Burke trial.' Austin, now 75, represented the 34th Ward in City Council for more than 30 years, making her the body's second-longest serving member after then-Ald. Edward M. Burke, who was convicted of sweeping racketeering charges in 2023 and is currently serving his two-year sentence in federal prison. She had announced her intention to plead not guilty to the charges and would have been set to stand trial in November. Another city council member, former 11th Ward Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, was federally indicted months before Austin in 2021. That case is also still playing out: the U.S. Supreme Court overturned two of his convictions late last month, after he'd already served his four-month prison term.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘Get Behind the Vest' breakfast looks to raise money for new bulletproof bests for CPD officers
CHICAGO – At St. Ignatius College Prep, pancakes fed the prayers of people looking to help. On Saturday morning, Ald. Bill Conway (34th Ward) hosted a 'Get Behind the Vest' breakfast for the first time. Since 2014, these events have cooked up the funds for the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation's efforts to help Chicago police officers buy new bulletproof vests. 'Chicago police officers have our back, so it's important that we have theirs and we're putting a good bulletproof vest on their backs,' Conway said. Weekend Break: White Sox celebrate families with Kids Opening Day on the South Side While the city gives each officer a bulletproof vest when they come out of the academy, officers are responsible for replacements every five years. 'Officers don't replace their vests like they should upon expiration. They kind of roll the dice and wait to see, and they spend their money on family and the house and everything else,' Maureen Biggane with the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation said. Just last year, Officer Edwin Gramajo's life was saved when his vest caught a bullet. 'He was in his squad car. You'll see pictures of where the bullet penetrated the windshield and then struck him in the vest. Thank God he was wearing his vest, saved his life undoubtably and we were able to provide him with a replacement vest after that incident,' Biggane said. So far, the police memorial foundation has replaced 14,000 vests at a cost of about $500 each. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines 'Any protection we can get for our officers, especially when they're facing the types of challenges they're facing out there. We know how many officers we've lost over the last two years and we don't want that to happen again. We want to keep our officers safe when they're out there keeping others safe. Those bullet proof vests do a lot to protect our officers,' CPD Supt. Larry Snelling said. Conway hopes to raise over $100,000 from sponsors and pancake sales. 'In the military, I was in Afghanistan and wore a bulletproof vest. So I want to make sure that our police officers have the protection they need,' Conway said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chicago mayor's office facing backlash after allegedly attempting to censor City Council meeting video
The Brief The mayor's office is accused of attempting to censor video footage from a controversial City Council meeting about censorship. A video of the meeting, featuring a chaotic exchange between aldermen over controversial artwork, was taken down and later restored by City Clerk Anna Valencia. A mayoral staffer allegedly requested edits to the video, prompting concerns about transparency, which Valencia later addressed by re-uploading it. CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's office is under fire for allegedly trying to censor video of a contentious City Council meeting. What we know The mayor's office is facing accusations of trying to censor a meeting about censorship. This comes after City Clerk Anna Valencia said a video of the meeting was improperly removed from public view. The video in question shows Tuesday's City Council hearing on controversial artwork at the Cultural Center. The meeting turned chaotic when 25th Ward Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez appeared to call 34th Ward Ald. Bill Conway a "white supremacist." This followed a heated debate over controversial artwork at the Cultural Center, which some aldermen have condemned as anti-Semitic. Conway and Sigcho-Lopez were arguing over Sigcho-Lopez's involvement in a protest before the DNC that included a burned American flag. After a few moments, 41st Ward Ald. Anthony Napolitano and 38th Ward Ald. Nick Sposato called out Sigcho-Lopez for his remarks and removed him from the meeting. "You gotta go," shouted Sposato. "You can't call someone a white supremacist. You gotta go." Videos of all City Council proceedings are posted on the City Clerk's website. But last night, the video of Tuesday's hearing was missing. Valencia said a mayoral staffer improperly contacted her office, asking a staff member to edit the video. The clerk's office employee declined, instead removing the video entirely. What they're saying Valencia stated she did not approve the removal and restored the video on Wednesday. "I am, always have been, and always will be, committed to building transparency and trust with our residents, and will ensure this does not happen again," Valencia said in a statement. "We are here as public servants to ensure our residents have complete access to their government and as long as I am here, that will remain." As soon as the meeting recessed, Sigcho-Lopez and Conway went into a private room with top mayoral advisor Jason Lee to clear the air. The backstory Thirty people spoke about an art exhibit at Chicago's Special Events committee meeting this week. The piece is controversial, and 27 council members have already called for its removal. The protest puppet is in the Chicago Cultural Center. It portrays Uncle Sam and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as murderers, calling out U-S support of Israel's involvement in Gaza. The exhibit was titled "U.S.-Israel War Machine." The alderpersons signed a letter calling on leaders to remove it because it was offensive. Some members of the public agreed with calls to remove the artwork. "As a citizen of Chicago, this is dangerous for my community. It is harmful and it is not something that should be displayed in a public building. Bigotry like this actively harms the Jewish community, which has a large presence in Chicago," a representative from the American Jewish Committee said. The other side Others said that censorship of public art is not something that Chicago's elected officials should get involved in. "To hear that there has been such an uproar about this puppet is shocking and honestly, a waste of everyone here's time," one resident said. "The demand to remove this puppet sets a dangerous precedent that Chicago elected officials can dictate which artwork is allowed to be displayed in our city and which is not, based on whether they agree with the artist's politics. As a proud member of Chicago's Jewish community, I urge you to spend your time actually governing our city." Changes were made to the display. Officials added a warning that the exhibition contains sensitive content. READ MORE HERE The Source FOX 32's Paris Schutz reported on this story.
