Chicago City Wire

Investor and GOP activist Jeffrey Carter has voiced strong criticism against Chicago’s equity initiatives, particularly targeting the Chicago Transit Authority’s new Chief Equity Officer Denise Barreto and Mayor Brandon Johnson.

“It’s purely a continuation of the Marxist philosophy that the CTU and Mayor Brandon Johnson are trying to indoctrinate the Chicago people to,” Carter told Chicago City Wire.

“They voted for him. They deserve it.”

Carter's remarks followed an interview featuring Barreto on WBBM. 

Barreto was appointed as the Chief Equity Officer for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in Jul., emerging as a key figure in Cook County's equity initiatives. 

“I wasn’t trying to be in equity, but let’s be real – corporate America didn’t know what to do with this energy,” Barreto said of her ascent in DEI roles.

Despite being elected twice as a trustee for Lake in the Hills, Barreto mentioned that McHenry County "wasn’t very friendly to people that look like me," referencing her race during her interview with WBBM. Later she relocated to Evanston. As the Director of Equity and Inclusion for Cook County, she played an integral role in a 2021 initiative mandating "racial equity and cultural competency training" for all county employees by 2022.

Under her tenure, Cook County assigned $100 million to its Equity Fund, directing a substantial portion towards minority- and women-owned businesses. In 2019 alone, reported spending reached $74 million with such contractors; this included $25 million with Black-owned businesses, $18 million with Hispanic-owned businesses, $15 million with Asian-owned businesses and $14 million with women-owned businesses.

"Money we would be spending, we’re spending on folks who need it most, connecting them to our systems. The idea is that gives them a chance to be seen by other entities," Barreto speaking about redirecting funds to minorities to the Chicago Sun-Times, according to Chicago City Wire. "Because that’s half the battle with minority businesses — people giving you a chance. You can’t do racial equity without betting on somebody you don’t know."

The spotlight has recently been on DEI initiatives following a recent ruling by the United States Supreme Court - Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard – against affirmative action programs based solely on racial identity. The ruling was termed as a "landmark vindication of constitutional colorblindness," by Josh Hammer in Chronicles, who noted pushbacks against DEI initiatives including a coalition of 13 Republican state attorneys general reminding Fortune 100 CEOs of legal obligations against racial discrimination in the workplace.

Moreover, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has cautioned major law firms about legal implications of race-based employment practices, signaling wider scrutiny of DEI programs across the nation.

"The upshot could not be clearer: Following the legal triumph of genuine human ‘equality’ and the defeat of vogue leftist notions of ‘equity’ in SFFA, DEI apparatuses nationwide should tread extremely carefully," said Hammer, adding that "leading state attorneys general and members of Congress will be watching corporate diversitycrats like a hawk."

Carter is also recognized as co-founder of venture capital firm Hyde Park Angels and financial technology startup company West Loop Ventures. He uses his blog Points and Figures as a platform to express his views on politics, government, and other issues.