Citizen Kelly: Mayor Lightfoot's San Francisco junket to meet with donors raises serious questions
Chicago, IL (July 13, 2021)- Chicago Mayor Lightfoot said that she was flying to San Francisco to woo big tech to the city. But Chicago reporter William J. Kelly says there was another reason why Mayor Lightfoot took the taxpayer-funded trip: to raise money for her re-election campaign.
Kelly reports that Chicago media has yet to question Mayor Lightfoot about her taxpayer-funded junket last Thursday at a time when Chicago is in crisis with 10-20 shootings per day and record violence of 108 shootings over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Lightfoot has admitted she was in San Francisco to do some political fundraising.
The ill-timed junket comes at a time when Lightfoot is also under fire for allowing two top aides - including her deputy of public safety - to take a week off prior to the violent Fourth of July weekend. Under the mayor's safety plan, Chicago police worked 12 hours shifts and had their days off canceled.
"The public deserves to know why Mayor Lightfoot left Chicago, at a time of crisis, to raise money for her re-election campaign. People are questioning her motives and whether she really cares about this city," Kelly says. "I will continue to ask her the tough questions that deserve to be asked."
This weekend, Chicago saw 40 more shootings with 11 deaths. Among the deaths, a local rap artist who was ambushed outside of Cook County Jail. He had 64 bullet wounds.
Lightfoot has been under mounting public pressure following two heated press conferences with reporter William J. Kelly, where he pressed her on Chicago's out-of-control violence. Combined, both videos have now received
millions of views and thousands of comments, the majority critical of Lightfoot. You can see the videos
here and
here.
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