Chicago City Wire

Recently released records show that former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was told to stop electioneering almost a year before her campaign tried to recruit Chicago Public Schools students to aid in her re-election efforts.

In recent developments, Lightfoot's campaign practices have come under scrutiny, leading to a series of consequences and controversies. According to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg addressed these concerns by emailing Lightfoot directly, urging her to cease any further electioneering activities. Witzburg referred to a previous letter from the ethics board, emphasizing the importance of adhering to ethical standards.

“The Lightfoot campaign email list included hundreds of thousands of email addresses, with new recipients subscribing daily,” said a Lightfoot spokeswoman. “As we have previously stated, the campaign made regular good-faith efforts to scrub the list of any city government email addresses.”

The controversy surrounding Lightfoot's campaign peaked in the days leading up to the mayoral election on Feb. 28. Speculation arose that these campaign practices played a significant role in Lightfoot's subsequent defeat by the new Mayor, Brandon Johnson. This issue and other factors contributed to Lightfoot's administration serving only one term.

Even before news of the electioneering efforts became public, Lightfoot's campaign had contacted educators from City Colleges of Chicago to recruit students. However, the City Colleges, falling under the mayor's jurisdiction, made it clear in a statement released in January that they do not participate in political campaign coordination.

These revelations have cast a shadow over Lightfoot's campaign and subsequent mayoral tenure. The ethical concerns and potential electoral repercussions have created a contentious environment surrounding her administration. As the public awaits further information and investigation, it remains to be seen how these developments will impact the political landscape of Chicago and the legacy of Lori Lightfoot.