Chicago City Wire

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is facing a federal investigation regarding allegations of racial bias in hiring practices. The Justice Department is examining whether Johnson's administration violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by allegedly prioritizing Black candidates for top positions at City Hall.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon has indicated that there is "reasonable cause" to believe that hiring decisions were influenced by race rather than merit. This follows comments made by Johnson, where he highlighted the number of Black officials in his administration and emphasized their race as a means to ensure that "our people get a chance."

Johnson has consistently framed his administration as focused on racial reparation since his election. In March, he stated to The TRiiBE, "the first thing I did for our people was make sure I put key Black people in positions of power to protect it."

The current racial composition of Johnson's senior staff includes 34% Black, 30% White, 24% Hispanic, and 7% Asian members. These figures show an overrepresentation of Black staff compared to Chicago's demographic data from the U.S. Census.

Critics argue that while diversity is important, it should not come at the expense of excluding other groups. The legal implications are significant given Chicago's reliance on approximately $3.5 billion in annual federal funding.

Johnson's press secretary defended the administration’s record on diversity but did not address potential legal issues raised by the DOJ probe.

This investigation highlights broader debates about discrimination and diversity within American politics and law enforcement under the Trump administration.