Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson brushes off DOJ investigation into hiring practices: "We're not going to be intimidated"
Mayor Brandon Johnson defended his hiring practices after the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter notifying him they are opening an investigation into how the City of Chicago hires on Monday.
The Justice Department said it is specifically investigating the number of Black men and women who serve in Johnson's administration, which he spoke about at an event at a church in Woodlawn Sunday.
"The deputy mayor is a Black woman. The Department of Finance Development is a Black woman," Johnson told parishioners. "When you ask, how do we ensure that our people get a chance to grow their businesses, having people in my administration that will look out for the interest of everyone, and everyone means you have to look out for the interests of Black folks."
The DOJ cited that moment in a letter, saying if those hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions, "it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions."
Johnson said he was neither surprised nor intimidated by the investigation as he took questions from the press Tuesday morning.
"This administration has obviously demonstrated a great deal of animus and disdain toward what is sensible about our country, and that is the diversity of our country," the mayor said. "And I'm very proud of the fact that we have one of the most, if not the most, diverse administrations in the history of Chicago."
Johnson's team sent CBS News Chicago a breakdown of the racial makeup of his 105 member staff. According to his office, 34% of employees are Black, 30% are white, 23% are Hispanic, 7% are Asian and 5% are two or more ethnicities.
"This is a quintessential example of the type of divisiveness this president wants us to have," Mayor Johnson said Tuesday.
Chicago news outlet The TriiBE captured an image of Johnson's leadership team in its early days. The mayor called it "the Blackest administration" in city history.
Meanwhile, The Associated Press captured an image of the current Trump cabinet at the latest Joint Session of Congress. The only Black member of his cabinet is Scott Turner, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
"I'm calling on the Department of Justice to investigate the Trump's administration and its discriminatory practices in their hiring," Johnson said Tuesday.
The mayor used President Trump's mostly white cabinet as part of his argument.
"One Black person in his entire administration, and individuals that I would question their qualifications," Mayor Johnson said. "If you're running major departments and your background is wrestling, maybe there's something valuable there — but we're not seeing it."
Johnson was talking about Linda McMahon, the former WWE promoter who is now the head of the U.S. Department of Education.
Johnson said he remained "firm and steadfast" in his commitment to using the "incredible, diverse talent" in his administration to continue to lead Chicago to become the safest and most affordable big city in the country.
"My administration reflects the country, reflects the city," Johnson said. "His administration reflects the country club."
The mayor was not surprised to find the Trump administration had instructed an investigation be opened on the city.
"It's clear that this administration does not respect the rule of law, and it's also clear that this administration is more interested in creating division within our country while we are being inclusive," Johnson said.
He said he is confident the people who elected him are as focused as he is on creating opportunities, growth and safety in the city. When questioned about the cost of defending the city from the investigation and any potential lawsuits, Mayor Johnson dismissed concerns by noting, "The cost if we don't defend our democracy could be quite severe."
"We're not going to be intimidated and struck by fear, because we're showing up in our best form, and that's who we are as a city," he said.
Johnson pointed the finger not just at the current president, but past Chicago mayors too.
"I'm not going to be intimidated, or allow the failures of the past to dictate how we move forward," Mayor Johnson said. "This is this generation's opportunity to get something right."
Experts say political appointments do not fall under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which is the statute cited by the Justice Department in their letter opening the investigation. Political appointments, experts said, would also not be covered by employment discrimination law.
"They would not be employees under Title VII, so even if it were true that he was going out of his way to hire people of a particular race, that would not violate the law," said Carolyn Shapiro, professor law at University of Chicago Kent College of Law.
