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The IG really needs to look at this

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Illinois

* Leigh Giangreco at Crain’s…

Some civic leaders are calling for the city to re-examine its do-not-hire list practices after another former staffer in the mayor’s office said they were placed on the list in retaliation for complaints they made in the office.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration fired another employee in the mayor’s office and placed them on the city’s do-not-hire list late this summer, raising questions over whether the administration has gone too far in its use of the authority.

The episode marks the fourth reported incident of the Johnson administration wielding the do-not-hire list on holdovers from former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s term, following a Chicago Tribune story that identified three Lightfoot staffers who transitioned to the Johnson team and were later fired after complaining about alleged mistreatment by top officials in the mayor’s office. […]

Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, still shares those concerns, but he said the Johnson administration’s recent use of the designation also raises serious ethical questions. While the do-not-hire list is not advertised publicly, anyone can submit a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the list. That means the designation could have ramifications for workers seeking employment in the private sector as well.

That Tribune story is here.

Thoughts?

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 10:28 am

Comments

I called this as being a problem months ago. The CTU would love to ruin the career of anyone that doesn’t agree with them, and they probably justify as being pro-social justice.

Comment by Just Me 2 Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 10:38 am
Considering the obvious personnel issues this admin is facing, it’s unbelievable they’re focusing more on blacklisting people than hiring.

Comment by Come in with the Rain Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 10:41 am
A decision as serious as ruining a person’s career and their possible retirement (pension) should be made by an independent review panel, not political figures and their appointees.

Comment by Matty Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 10:41 am
To quote the old song… Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

Comment by Benniefly2 Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 10:43 am
MBJ cannot even be a [banned word] in an original way. He needs to copy from Mayor Lightfoot.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 10:46 am
===focusing more on blacklisting people than hiring===

Simply amazing.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 10:48 am
Difficulty getting competent people to come on board, senior staffers appearing in the press because they think they are the protagonist of the story, a constant stream of process stories letting everyone know that an administration doesn’t have its act together.

I feel like I watched this show already from 2016 to 2020 but can’t for the life of me recall where.

Comment by VK Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 10:50 am
Obviously a problem which needs to be addressed, but I’m stuck on one thing…

There were three staffers from the Lightfoot team who were still working in the office at the transition to the new administration, and they only found the office to be one of mistreatment *after* Lightfoot had left office?

yikes.

Why does every politician these days seems to trying so hard to implement the same tactics in the same ways out of the Robert Greene book “The 48 laws of power”. Might as well try to run an organization with INFJ personality charts and horoscopes.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 10:54 am
Getting rid of a previous administration’s staff is one thing, but keeping that staff because you didn’t hire replacements then firing and blacklisting them is quite another. Wondering what the reaction would have been from Carlos Ramirez Rosa, Stacy Davis Gates, etc if the Emanuel administration did this.

Comment by uialum Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 11:02 am
Serious question- was the Do Not Hire List something in place in previous administrations? This seems draconian, at best.

Comment by LastModDemStanding Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 11:10 am
Be right back. Need to submit a quick FOIA.

Also going to just go ahead and submit “Lightfootian” to Webster’s for word of the year consideration too. lol.

Comment by ChicagoBars Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 11:21 am
=Getting rid of a previous administration’s staff is one thing, but keeping that staff because you didn’t hire replacements then firing and blacklisting them is quite another.=

Hit the nail on the head.

Comment by Come in with the Rain Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 11:35 am
LastModDemStandard - the do not hire list has been around for a long time. It used to be only for employees who commit fraud and/or corruption, and is a career killer. Even if you try to leave public employment and go to the private sector, many companies still won’t hire you.

Comment by Just Me 2 Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 11:38 am
==Wondering what the reaction would have been from Carlos Ramirez Rosa, Stacy Davis Gates, etc if the Emanuel administration did this.==

Yes. 100%.

Comment by low level Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 11:59 am
- Just Me 2 -

Thank you. WOW. A Do Not Hire list that may be available to the public is extreme and ripe for abuse.
As an aside, I googled and it looks like there was a bill introduced by Rep. Marcus Evans in 2021 narrowing the ability to put folks on a Do Not Hire list (HB3154).

Comment by LastModDemStanding Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 12:11 pm
The Do-Not-Hire list was intended to be for former city employees found to have abused their positions, whether through ghost payrolling, fraud, or other serious violations following some sort of due process. It was never intended as a retaliatory device to punish political opponents.

Whoever is responsible better hope they themselves aren’t put on this list.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 12:15 pm
Sooner or later there will be a class action against the do not hire list and it will cost the city some big money and not only will the wrongfully place people get a nice paycheck but the crooked people on the list will probably get paid too.

Comment by DuPage Saint Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 12:23 pm
The state has (or had) a similar list for employees that had been dismissed for cause. But some of those folks ended up back on the state payroll, so it was not an effective practice. Perhaps the city list will be equally ineffective.

Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 12:39 pm
It reeks of retaliation.

Reeks.

Comment by Thomas Paine Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 1:56 pm
Ok, let’s not all FOIA at once. I nominate Rich to FOIA the list. Then we can nominate all those on the list for political reason for some for the first ever Lightfootian Awards.

Comment by New Day Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 2:07 pm
I want to see the full list. I also want to see the Governor’s do not hire list too.

Comment by ;) Wednesday, Jan 17, 24 @ 3:22 pm