Latest news with #ChicagoCity
CBS News
21-05-2025
- CBS News
Chicago City Council approves nearly $80 million to cover settlements in 7 lawsuits
Tens of millions of taxpayer dollars were approved on Wednesday to pay out settlements to people suing the city of Chicago. The City Council approved $80 million in payouts in seven lawsuits on Wedneday, prompting some aldermen to sound the alarm that this has to stop. City lawyers said if these cases went to trial, juries could make it even costlier for Chicago taxpayers. Cases range from the city botching corporate contracts to mishandling cases of people in need to police misconduct allegations. Three years ago, Arthur Almendarez and John Galvan were released from prison. They'd spent 35 years locked up after Chicago police detectives beat confessions out of them for a 1986 Little Village arson that killed two people before their names were cleared in 2022. "I'm trying not to let the anger poison my soul," Galvan said in 2022 after he was set free. On Wednesday, the City Council approved $20 million in settlements for each of them, along with another $8 million for co-defendant Francisco Nanez, who also spent more than 30 years in prison before he was cleared. Also approved was a $5 million dollar settlement for Briana Keys, who lost both legs to frostbite after being locked out of her apartment in 2021 while barefoot and wearing only a bathrobe in 5-degree temperatures. Her lawsuit claims she couldn't get help for hours despite calls to 911 and 311. She also claimed that even when police officers spoke to her while she was walking to a nearby police station, they wouldn't give her a ride. City attorneys said the officers claimed they offered to call her an ambulance, or drive her to her mother's house or a police station, but she refused, but Keys, who was also suffering a mental health crisis, insisted officers refused to let her get in their squad car. Several aldermen objected to settling that lawsuit, noting officers said they offered Keys help but she refused, but Finance Committee chair Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) suggested officers should have done more to make sure Keys got help. Meantime, the council unanimously approved a $15.5 million payout to the company that bought the rights to Chicago parking meters under the Daley administration. The city took thousands of parking meters out of service during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in ways that violated the agreement. In total, the City Council approved $77.9 million in settlements in seven lawsuits, including more than $62 million in cases alleging police misconduct. The city had budgeted $82 million in 2025 to cover police misconduct settlements, and had already blown through that money before Wednesday's settlements, less than halfway through the year. Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th), who voted against several of the settlements, said the city is on track to rack up $300 million in settlements this year. "We have to learn that some situations, while tragic, are not necessarily our fault. They are not the responsibility of taxpayers," he said. "We are not God's piggybank. We cannot keep doing this, because we know there are hundreds of other settlements that are coming down the pike." However, Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), who chairs the City Council Budget Committee, noted that city attorneys determined all of those lawsuits could cost the city far more if they had gone to trial, and said aldermen need to put their trust in the Law Department's recommendations. The city's budget director, Annette Guzman, said earlier this week that Chicago is not alone in dealing with the high cost of settling lawsuits. She said other major cities, like Los Angeles, are being similarly squeezed by a combination of past allegations of wrongdoings. "We're not only dealing with legacy old cases, but we're also dealing with the backlog due to the closing of courts during the pandemic. So all of that is converging at the same time," she said on Tuesday Mayor Brandon Johnson this week accused his predecessors of kicking some of these cases down the road before he took office, rather than settling them sooner for less money. The mayor said he is going to stop that practice, but his budget allotted for only $85 million in settlement costs for 2025, and the actual cost is likely to be two to three times larger than that. Chris Tye Chris Tye is a reporter and fill-in anchor at CBS2 Chicago. contributed to this report.
Associated Press
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Justice Department investigates Chicago's hiring practices after mayor touts Black hires
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into hiring practices at the city of Chicago, according to a letter shared on social media and sent to the Chicago mayor's office. The probes announcement Monday came a day after Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke at a Chicago church to outline his vision for the remainder of his term. During the speech, Johnson praised the number of Black people in top positions in his administration. The speech garnered immediate attention on social media, including calls from conservatives and others to investigate. The DOJ's Civil Rights Division shared its investigation notice on Monday, citing Johnson's comments to the congregation Sunday as the trigger for a pattern or practice investigation into whether the city has habitually violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race. 'Considering these remarks, I have authorized an investigation to determine whether the City of Chicago is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination as set forth above,' the letter signed by Assistant Attorney General for Harmeet K. Dhillon said. 'If these kind of hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions in your administration, then it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions.' The investigation fits with the Trump administration's larger realignment of how federal agencies view and fight discrimination. It's also part of a larger remaking of the department's civil rights division, which saw a wave of departures as the administration outlined its priorities. Historically, the civil rights division has investigated claims of discrimination against minorities, monitoring police departments, housing providers and voting rights. These probes are not criminal investigations. They look for a pattern of discrimination and are often settled through court-approved agreements. These consent decrees create a set of required changes that must be met for oversight and monitoring to end. Dhillon told The Associated Press Tuesday that she does not see the administration's priorities as a shift. 'I would say that it's our view that all racial discrimination is illegal in the United States. And I think it's fair to say the prior administration only looked at that from a particular angle,' she said. 'I think that we are taking a step back and taking a broader view, which is what is required under these statutes.' Dhillon said the investigation is in its very early stages and that she could not say what the exact parameters of the investigation would be. 'Statutes of limitations apply, but we are going to be looking where the facts lead us,' she said, adding that Johnson's predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, had also made 'concerning' statements about race in regards to hiring. The Chicago mayor's office did not respond to a request for comment. Johnson, who took office in 2023, has gained a reputation for being blunt and even combative at times, getting into public spats with reporters when asked questions about policy or administrative decisions. With Chicago a routine target of criticism from President Donald Trump and members of his administration, Johnson has occasionally taken a more cautious approach, as when he joined other mayors from so-called sanctuary cities at a congressional hearing earlier this year. But speaking to reporters Tuesday, Johnson doubled down on his commitment to ensure a diverse city workforce and called the investigation a 'divisive tactic.' 'We don't have to apologize for being concerned about the residents of this city who have borne the brunt of school closures. Think about unemployment in this city, where it is mostly concentrated. Think about violence where it is mostly concentrated,' he said. 'It would be shameful if I were to repeat the sins of those who have been in this position before because they did not speak enough to Black Chicagoans.' Johnson said his administration is full of highly qualified individuals with educational, law and other specialized backgrounds, before throwing a punch at the Trump administration. His administration is full of, 'individuals that I would question their qualifications. You're running a major department and your qualification is wrestling,' he said. 'As his administration moves away from diversity, you're seeing more chaos. As my administration embraces diversity, you are seeing us build the safest, most affordable city in America.' Dhillon said the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was also opening an investigation into Johnson's statements. A spokesman for the EEOC confirmed that the commission had received a letter from DOJ, but said he could not confirm whether the agency is investigating a specific complaint.
