Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was snubbed by local journalist William Kelly during a city council meeting earlier this week and told to leave the city.
Kelly, who has long been a vocal critic of Lightfoot’s policies, called out the mayor for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in the city’s schools, churches and businesses being closed.
Kelly, who runs a TV production and events company, lashed out during a segment of the meeting that called for the public to comment.
“They close our schools, they close the churches, they close the businesses,” Kelly began.
“You did the one thing I thought could never happen. As someone who was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, I never thought in my life that I would ever see the city of Chicago fall as low as you managed to bring it down.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was snubbed during a controversial city council meeting with journalist William Kelly telling her to “get out of my town.”
William Kelly, who has clashed with Lightfoot in the past, condemned her leadership, her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the significant rise in crime
“I hope that after today’s city council meeting, you’ll pack your bags and get out of my town,” Kelly said.
“Shame on you,” he continued. “That’s a legacy you must carry.”
Kelly had a long-standing feud with Lightfoot, who even sued her over their politics last year.
During his testimony, Kelly berated the mayor for revoking his press credentials in retaliation for his criticism and called out her for trying to silence naysayers.
“I feel like this is more of a statement of victim impact than actual public comment,” he said.
“What you have done to me is nothing compared to what you have done to my city, the city of Chicago, the city I was born and raised in, the city I love with all my heart. “They are a pandemic,” Kelly added.
During the council meeting pictured above, Kelly accused it of causing significant harm to the city he loves and where he was born and raised, describing it as a “pandemic.”
Last year, Chicago journalist William Kelly sued Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot for violating his rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments after he was banned from press conferences at City Hall
Lightfoot didn’t respond to Kelly’s remarks and left the meeting after describing them as a “pandemic.”
Lightfoot, who was elected in 2019, recently lost her bid for re-election.
Her tenure was marked by criticism of her handling of crime in the city, which has increased significantly since she took office, with the homicide rate rising 40 percent in the past year alone.
The city saw 800 homicides in 2021, the highest in 25 years.
Lightfoot has also faced controversy over her strained relationship with the city’s press and unions, with some accusing her of restricting freedom of information access to public records.
Despite Lightfoot’s claims of racism and gender bias after her re-election loss, critics continue to question her leadership and legacy.
Kelly’s verbal attack underscores the frustration felt by many in the city who are calling for change and accountability at the highest levels of leadership.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, notoriously soft on crime, scraped just 17 percent of the vote in the race for town hall, and on March 4, forced
Lightfoot, the first black woman and first openly gay person to lead the city, won her first term in 2019 after pledging to end decades of corruption and backroom deals at City Hall.
However, opponents have blamed Lightfoot for a spike in crime that has occurred in cities across the United States during the pandemic and have criticized her as a divisive, overly controversial leader.
As crime levels continued to rise in the final years of her tenure, Lightfoot was heavily criticized for promoting causes other than public safety, including a citywide karaoke competition and dancing in the streets during a festival.
Lightfoot first faced fierce backlash after joining calls by Democratic mayors in 2021 to cut police department budgets, a move that also led to officers abandoning violence and rising violent crime.
The embattled mayor then committed to an about-face, opting instead to “refund the police” and hire more officers, but that move has done little to curb crime.
Rapes are up 16 percent so far this year compared to the same time in 2022, according to the latest report from the Chicago Police Department.
Robberies are also up 13 percent, with severe battery and burglaries both up 11 percent.
Theft in the Windy City is up 31 percent, and vehicle theft in particular is up 143 percent.
Homicides and shootings were the only category with a decrease of 18 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
While total violent crime increased by 52 percent compared to the same period last year, it increased by 102 percent compared to 2021.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11874321/Chicago-Mayor-Lori-Lightfoot-slammed-raucous-council-meeting-weeks-lost-election.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is slammed at a rowdy council meeting weeks after losing her election
