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* Some folks asked me yesterday why I wasn’t posting the latest profanity-laden Lori Lightfoot story. Aside from the fact that it’s a local story and not a state issue, I had reason to believe - without speaking to anyone in the mayor’s office or campaign - that the claims about what the mayor said weren’t true, so I let it go, even though I kinda wanted it to be true. Anyway, here’s the mayor’s statement from this morning in which she denies the claims…
“I am aware of the lawsuit that has been filed by a former Chicago Park District employee. While I will continue my practice of not commenting on the specific claims alleged in pending litigation, I feel compelled to state that the deeply offensive and ridiculous claims are wholly lacking in merit, and I welcome the opportunity to prove that fact in court. Furthermore, to be clear, I never have and never will harbor any animus toward Italians or Italian Americans.”
Keep it clean in comments, folks. Thanks.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 8:55 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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I’m gonna comment on the merits, except to say there is no merit. Ok?
Comment by Anon E Moose Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 8:57 am
*not gonna comment
Comment by Anon E Moose Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 8:58 am
“Lacking in merit”
“Never will harbor any animus”
Translation:
“I said it, but I don’t think it rises to the level of ‘defamatory.’”
“It was just locker room talk.”
Comment by Juvenal Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:07 am
*Keep it Clean in the Comments*
I don’t know why you would want to keep the Mayor out of the comments section…
Comment by Just Another Anon Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:09 am
I was disturbed by the quotes I saw making hte rounds. Yes offensive to Italians but also highly anti-feministic. As if women can’t be tough in their own right.
Comment by cermak_rd Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:12 am
There are so many things that could be said about this, and LL but “clueless” sums them up nicely. Like two lawyers are gonna just make this up??
Comment by thisjustinagain Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:13 am
Actual Chicagoan here. The anonymous commenters remind me of a conversation I had with a sibling who complained about how horrible it was that Daley was retiring and “we’d” have to elect someone new. I reminded the sibling there was no “we” involved, as the sibling lived in Oak Park and didn’t vote in Chicago municiple elections.
Comment by Cheryl44 Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:15 am
An attorney filing that kind of lawsuit against such a high profile individual without any proof sounds like grounds for suspending their law license and opening them up to a counter suit. Meaning: the tirade is taped…
Comment by Boomerang Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:16 am
Saw some of the actual transcript of the lawsuit. It’s hilarious. If I lived in Chicago this would make me more excited to vote for her.
Comment by Left of what Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:19 am
Cheryl44,
That is a funny thing about the closein burbs. When you are talking about the Mayor as a person, as in, “Can you believe the Mayor said this”, it’s often the mayor of Chicago being referred.
Whereas in my own burb if I say Mayor Lovero, then I mean my own mayor (of Berwyn in this case).I think it has to do with the fact that what’s going on in Chicago for good or ill deeply impacts the closeins. Unfortunatey it can also mean that people ignore what is happening in your one’s own suburb allowing corruption to flourish
Your point is valid, though, I don’t pretend to be part of the electorate of Chicago.
Comment by cermak_rd Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:22 am
I am a lawyer, so will make comment on the lawsuit first. This is one of the weakest defamation claims I have ever seen. I think it will be quickly dismissed.
As to LL’s “language” It was uncouth for a politician, but she had the right to be furious that her own employees made a deal behind her back that went agains her political and leadership better judgment. She was right that they should never have done that and she was right to question their abilities for coming up with such a stupid idea. Maybe instead she just should have “spoke softly” and reminded everyone who carried the biggest “stick” in the room.
Comment by Moved East Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:27 am
==I had reason to believe - without speaking to anyone in the mayor’s office or campaign - that the claims about what the mayor said weren’t true==
Wait, that she didn’t say that, or that she doesn’t actually have the big-
You know what, I think I’m just gonna call it a week a little early today.
Comment by Arsenal Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:31 am
===I don’t know why you would want to keep the Mayor out of the comments section===
Funny. But if she was a commenter, she’d undoubtedly be in permanent moderation.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:34 am
She’s going to be furious when she doesn’t get a police escort/valet (like Daley and Rahm) when she’s out office
Comment by Jose Abreu's Next Homer Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:37 am
I’m glad the mayor can comment on her comments and not the two police officers shot overnight.
Comment by Pardon Joe Kotlarz Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:38 am
If this is defamation then I have defamed a lot of people. Cited examples of things I have absolutely said:
Where did you go to law school?
Did you even go to law school?
Do you even have a law license? (Though usually posed as how do you have a law license?)
I presume many attorneys have had a good laugh at the expense of this filing.
Comment by Candy Dogood Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:42 am
This is an illustration of how Lori’s administration is different from Rahm’s. Rahm wouldn’t have said he was offended if the comments were attributed to him.
Comment by Keyrock Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:43 am
The lawsuit is a joke, but the situation is not. She also made a deal with the Italians, then backed out with no warning. That is why this attorney made another deal for that stupid statue with the Italians.
I’m a Chicagoan. I am also an immigrant Italian. I wonder what would happen, I wonder what this comment section would look like, if the table were turned. If an Italian mayor spoke like that to an African American constituent, the entire country would be on fire.
But let’s not let double standard stand in the way of democracy, no, no, lets not do that.
What a joke.
Comment by allknowingmasterofraccoondom Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:47 am
The attorney who was the subject of this supposed defamation and who then went and filed a lawsuit should be embarrassed. SMH
Comment by Original Rambler Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:49 am
Lightfoot is going to need an Italian friend to buy her a big cornicello after this because when you mess with Italians you get malocchio after you. lol For those that don’t know, google.
Comment by ;) Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 9:57 am
I think we all wanted the quotes to be true.
Comment by Ok Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 10:04 am
Being spoken to like that is not acceptable anywhere. It’s a disgusting example for the youth of this city. She’s a disgrace. If a streets and san worker spoke like that, he/she would be fired.
Comment by Rutro Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 10:09 am
Can we please stop using male genitalia as a metaphor for courage or toughness? It is so incredibly sexist to suggest that a woman with fortitude is somehow dually equipped.
Comment by Soccermom Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 10:19 am
I suppose she just should have said she had more testicular fortitude than they did
Comment by DuPage Saint Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 10:25 am
There’s no excuse for this sort of language, but it’s not defamatory. Just rude.
Comment by JoanP Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 10:30 am
Even if everything in the complaint were true, none of it would be defamation. If yelling at a lawyer were illegal, then the world would be filled with even more bad-yet-wealthy lawyers. This should be a short-lived suit.
I don’t know the details of the inter-relationship between the park district and the city, but from the pleadings, it appears that the park district lawyers made parade promises on behalf of the city that they were not allowed to make.
Comment by duck duck goose Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 10:31 am
@Moved East absolutely nails it.
Comment by Roman Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 10:32 am
Not commenting on whether LL said this or not nor on her abilities as mayor. But, if Rahm or Daley (or any male) had said such a thing, there would be no lawsuit and no story.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 10:41 am
Another favorite mayoral quote—“scrootin’ my shorts—is mild sauce compared to MLL’s remarks. Salty.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 10:42 am
In the court where this lawsuit was filed, it seems like this complaint probably will not get very far.
But in the court of public opinion, damage is done and LL’s approval continues to sink further.
Comment by WesttownMatt Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 10:43 am
I can’t help but think how hysterical the comments here would be with this clever crowd if we didn’t have to abide by Rich’s code of conduct.
Comment by Because I said so.... Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 11:01 am
@ cermak_rd: A lot of burbs don’t have mayors, they have presidents. Your town has to distinguish between da Mayor and the Mayor, but others have it easier.
Comment by Socially DIstant Watcher Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 11:04 am
Good luck getting a jury to believe you can defame a lawyer
Comment by Bigtwich Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 11:32 am
=== I’m glad the mayor can comment on her comments and not the two police officers shot overnight.===
Oh please. The one thing has nothing to do with the other thing.
Comment by Da big bad wolf Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 11:45 am
Mayor Lightfoot has pretty much joined Rod as among the Lee Elia of politicians.
Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 11:51 am
not a fan of Lightfoot but this attack is baloney. it is not offensive to Italians. It’s tough talk, like we probably hear from lots of folks and the metaphors used sound like lots of fights I’ve witnessed. it is that she is a female that they criticize. and that is sexist.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 11:53 am
Maybe this has come up in the media coverage and I’ve missed it, but I’m wondering if the Zoom call was recorded. Given how long (no pun intended) and precise the mayors quotes were in the complaint, either the plaintiff took really detailed contemporaneous notes, or he’s taking a lot of liberties in paraphrasing the mayor, or there’s a recording. Right?
Comment by Telly Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 12:01 pm
I don’t read her statement as actually denying that she made these remarks. She says the “claims” (of defamation) are offensive and ridiculous, that the lawsuit lacks merit, and and that she holds no animus to Italian Americans. All of these things may be true. But never does she directly address whether she actually made the statements attributed to her.
Comment by charles in charge Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 12:24 pm
But does she now understand the rules of engagement?
Comment by AlfondoGonz Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 12:27 pm
“I won’t comment on the case itself, but I want to make one thing clear. I have not said and would not use that kind of vulgar, disgusting language. That is fiction.”
There, Mayor, I fixed it for you. Oh, but you can’t say that because you probably did you that kind of language. Sadly, it’s completely consistent with the person we’ve all come to know as Mayor.
Comment by New Day Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 12:30 pm
The correct answer to my above query is “idk, but it seems she understands the rules of engorgement”
Apologies if that’s a bridge too far, Rich.
Comment by AlfondoGonz Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 12:35 pm
@ Because I said so, 11:01 am
Which of Rich’s rules are you suggesting are unacceptable? Are you suggesting you would prefer a completely unbridled blog, where people can say anything they want, without moderation? There are plenty of those sorts of blogs. I prefer this one because the moderator actually compels us to return to the actual facts versus speculations.
Comment by H-W Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 12:54 pm
I hope she said all those things. Good for her.
Comment by The Velvet Frog Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 12:59 pm
They say profanity is a result of someone with a weak mind trying to express themselves. Sounds like something Lori Lightfoot would say. One of her previous statements was similar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlnheh9wyTE
Comment by DuPage Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 1:07 pm
==I hope she said all those things. Good for her.==
Maybe ask yourself why you admire someone for being an abusive boss.
Comment by charles in charge Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 1:08 pm
Lightfoot’s comment is what’s “without merit”.
Comment by PublicServant Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 2:40 pm
My Mom had more courage than any one I’ve met…yet.
Comment by Dotnonymous Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 2:47 pm
=== I’m glad the mayor can comment on her comments and not the two police officers shot overnight.===
Sorry, pal. She did.
Comment by Northsider Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 2:52 pm