Justice Department investigating Mayor Brandon Johnson for alleged racially motivated hiring
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By Alice Yin | ayin@chicagotribune.com | Chicago Tribune and Jake Sheridan | jsheridan@chicagotribune.com | Chicago Tribune
May 19, 2025 at 3:15 PM CDT
Mayor Brandon Johnson departs with staff members after a meeting with Gov. JB Pritzker at the Stratton Building next door to the Illinois State Capitol on April 30, 2025, in Springfield. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
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 suggested 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.
“You ‘highlight[ed] the number of Black officials in [your] administration,’” Dhillon wrote, quoting Johnson. “You then went on to list each of these individuals, emphasizing their race. … You then said that you were ‘laying’ these positions ‘out’ to ‘ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business.’”
Dhillon said, “Considering these remarks, I have authorized an investigation to determine whether the City of Chicago is engaged in a pattern of practice of discrimination as set forth above,” saying she will look into both high-ranking and lower-level jobs.
Johnson’s press secretary, Cassio Mendoza, said Monday the mayor’s office is awaiting official receipt of the letter.
“Mayor Johnson is proud to have the most diverse administration in the history of our city,” Mendoza wrote. “Our administration reflects the diversity and values of Chicago. Unfortunately, the current federal administration does not reflect either.”
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 leading up to 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.”
Johnson’s comments also referenced Black representation among city contracts and highlighted a Black-owned businesses, Bowa Construction, that was awarded a project at O’Hare International Airport.
“It’s also critical for other major construction companies or mid-sized construction companies that are Black-owned to know that there is a mayor who sees them,” Johnson said. “There are resources available for you in the city of Chicago. … Over these next two years, every single dime that our people have been robbed of, I want to make sure that that is returned two, three-fold.”
Since his second term started, the president has often had Chicago and other Democratic cities in his crosshairs over issues including immigration and diversity, equity and inclusion practices. Johnson is also being sued by Trump’s Justice Department for Chicago’s sanctuary city policy for immigrants who entered the country illegally, and the city and Chicago Public Schools are facing a separate federal probe over alleged antisemitism.
How Johnson, who has tried to position himself as part of the progressive vanguard against Trump in urban America, responds to these threats will define much of his next two years in office. Hanging in the balance is about $3.5 billion in federal grants and other aid that Chicago is due annually.
The section of the Civil Rights Act that the DOJ is basing its investigation on prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex and other identities. The landmark 1964 law was a defining moment of the civil rights crusade against segregation for Black Americans, but conservatives have recently begun citing it to allege that white or Asian people are being unfairly treated in employment or educational opportunities.
Trump’s anti-DEI campaign has sought to punish education systems, including CPS, that his administration says discriminate against students based on race. Johnson last month said “We’re gonna sue” after the U.S. Department of Education issued a notice demanding school districts sign a pledge disavowing DEI policies, before the mayor’s press office walked the legal threat back.
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.
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. On Monday, his office provided updated numbers that said the breakdown was 34% Black, 24% Hispanic, 30% white and 7% Asian.
