Brandon Johnson, the mayor of Chicago, is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights after he made remarks boasting about the hiring of Black people in his administration.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who was nominated to the position by President Donald Trump, announced the probe in a letter. In it, she revealed that her office is investigating whether Mayor Johnson’s employment practices are discriminatory based on race in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The probe was launched after Johnson’s remarks on Sunday at the Apostolic Church of God, in which he highlighted that staff in key roles within his administration, including his chief operations officer, budget director, and others, were Black.
According to NBC News, Johnson pointed out the race of some of his staff to make a point about detractors who criticized the fact that he is “hiring all the Black people.”
The mayor explained, “When you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else.” He added, “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, because that hasn’t happened. That’s how we ensure long-term sustainable growth.”
In her letter, Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon noted that her office has not yet concluded whether Johnson violated any civil rights discrimination laws, but encouraged his office to cooperate as it determines whether there are any patterns or practices.
The investigation escalates for the first time the Trump administration’s months-long push to eliminate the practice of diversity, equity and inclusion on the city level. During his first days in office, President Trump signed an executive order prohibiting DEI programs in the federal government and urging federal offices to prevent the practice in the private sector. Trump has threatened to withhold federal grants and seek legal redress to pressure law firms and universities to abandon DEI practices.
Mayor Johnson’s office told NBC News that his administration “reflects the diversity and values of Chicago,” adding, “Unfortunately, the current federal administration does not reflect either.”
“Black folks will be here in this city and in cities across America, protecting this democracy, protecting humanity, because that’s what Black people have always done,” said Chicago’s 57th mayor. Johnson said his office is “proud to have the most diverse administration in the history of our city.”
According to the mayor’s office, 30.5% of its employees identify as white, and 34.3% identify as Black.
The probe launched by the DOJ Office of Civil Rights reflects an agency that has dramatically transformed since Trump reentered the White House and made race and diversity a major pain point. It notably halted civil rights cases that were active during the Biden administration, including those investigating police departments for racial discrimination and civil rights violations.
The DOJ has also notably targeted perceived political enemies of Trump, including a criminal investigation of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for business fraud. Most recently, the DOJ criminally charged U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, a Black congresswoman from New Jersey, for a May 9 encounter with ICE agents.
Democrats, including House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, called the charges against McIver a “corrupt abuse of power.”
