Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s disgraceful and illegal actions to reach out to Chicago Public Schools asking students to campaign for her reelection in return for extra credits are not only a misuse of funds, but an embarrassing visual that reveals the true character of the mayor.
This time America’s worst mayor Lori Lightfoot may have stepped in trouble big time. Lightfoot has cared little about the plights of ordinary citizens, as crime skyrockets, murders happen on an hourly basis, and her states attorney refuses to prosecute criminals. Yet, with the education system failing in Chicago, the mayor asked the schools to give extra credit to students so they could campaign for her.
Townhall reports. Lori Lightfoot’s campaign repeatedly asked Chicago’s Public Schools (CPS) to encourage students to campaign for Lightfoot’s reelection for extra credit last week. It wasn’t some right-wing plot to catch the mayor in an inappropriate act. WTTW, a Chicago PBS affiliate, has been covering this story. During the most recent episode of MSNBC’s “The Sunday Show,” the mayor was forced to explain her campaign’s move.
Watch.
But wait there is more! More damning emails have surfaced showing the audacity of her campaign and their efforts to use public funds to campaign.
WTTW Chicago writes. It was reported on January 12 that the mayor’s campaign reached out to city colleges to ask teachers to give their students credit for helping Lightfoot win.
The move, described as unethical by Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates, was blamed on a “young staffer” who made a “mistake” that was “well-intentioned.” Also, it appears to have been miscommunication with Lightfoot’s staff, as another report from Cherone says the mayor told Cherone that the report caused quite a stir before anyone else in the campaign leadership knew about it.
“It never should have happened,” Lightfoot said. “It is not going to happen again.”
Cherone reported that the campaign initially tried to defend the move as well as pass the blame for the apparent miscommunication and disarray. In the initial statement, a spokesperson told WTTW that the outreach was aimed at providing young people with opportunities to engage with our campaign, learn more about civic engagement, and participate in the most American of processes. The mayor’s own response to Capehart isn’t too different from what he said above.
The ACLU of Illinois is also outraged. The chapter’s executive director, Colleen K. Connell, is quoted in another report for WTTW by Cherone on January 12. According to Connell, the email is inappropriately coercive and violates the First Amendment. The Supreme Court has made clear that government officials cannot use their office or power to coerce participation in elections or punish for not participating.
It was disgraceful to see Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s campaign attempt to misuse public funds by asking Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to encourage students to campaign for her reelection in order to earn extra credit. This is an absolute disgrace, as these are clear illegal actions that should not be tolerated or swept under the rug. It’s quite embarrassing when such an action comes out, as it portrays a liar and worst mayor, who has failed on all fronts imaginable. The mayor’s response, merely calling it “simply a mistake,” is infuriating, and only further proves her incompetence. Clearly this isn’t something we should be okay with in our society – the mayor needs to step up and apologize for her campaign’s blatant misuse of funds!
Let’s continue this conversation, in the comments below.
