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The city of Chicago is facing a federal investigation after Mayor Brandon Johnson touted the number of Black officials hired during his administration.
On Monday (May 19), the Department of Justice announced that it was launching an investigation into Chicago's hiring practices following Johnson's public comments about diversity in his administration, per ABC News.
Johnson was speaking at the Apostolic Church of God on Sunday (May 18) when he noted that previous city administrations had majority white employees. Under his leadership, Johnson said 45 percent of the administration is Black, 25 percent is Latino, 30 percent is white, and 8 percent is Asian.
"It is the most diverse administration in the history of Chicago. And here's why I'm naming this is because there are some detractors that will push back on me and say, you know, the only thing [the] mayor talks about is the hiring of Black people," Johnson said Sunday. "No, what I'm saying is, when you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else. We are the most generous people on the planet."
Johnson's comments went viral and sparked calls on social media for an investigation into Chicago's hiring practices.
In a letter to Johnson, Harmeet Dhillon, the head of the DOJ's civil rights division, said the department's investigation was "based on information suggesting that you have made hiring decisions solely on the basis of race," citing the mayor's comments on Sunday.
The DOJ investigation into Chicago comes amid the sweeping crackdown on DEI practices in the federal government.
During Sunday's church appearance, Johnson said having a diverse administration helps "ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business."
"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," Johnson said. "That's how we ensure long-term sustainable growth."
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