(Samantha Chang) The government watchdog group Judicial Watch filed a motion to compel Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to answer questions related to a civil rights lawsuit pending against her by a white male reporter stemming from her racist policy to grant interviews exclusively to “journalists of color.”
Related Pfizer Documents Reveal Over 1,200 Vaccine Deaths Over 90-Day Trial Period
Source – The Federalist Papers
by Samantha Chang, December 2nd, 2021
In its Nov. 23 motion for court authorization to depose Lightfoot, Judicial Watch said the mayor “breached her obligation under Rule 30(b)(6) to designate a person or persons to testify on her behalf.”
The pleading was made on behalf of plaintiffs Thomas Catenacci and the Daily Caller News Foundation, who had filed a civil rights lawsuit against Lightfoot in May.
In their federal lawsuit, the plaintiffs said Lightfoot’s racist interview policy violated Catenacci’s right to equal protection under the 14th Amendment as well as both plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
In the latest motion, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Judicial Watch said Lightfoot’s designee was woefully unprepared to testify on her behalf.
“Specifically, Kathleen LeFurgy, Mayor Lightfoot’s designee, did no more than speak with Mayor Lightfoot’s attorneys and review materials previously filed in this case,” the filing said. “She did not speak to the mayor. Nor did she speak to anyone else on the mayor’s staff. Nor did she review any records previously unknown to the Court or Plaintiff.
“LeFurgy was grossly ill prepared to testify as Mayor Lightfoot’s designee, and, consequently, Mayor Lightfoot has failed to produce a proper and prepared Rule 30(b)(6) witness.”
Because of the mayor’s refusal to produce a qualified designee to speak on her behalf, Judicial Watch said, the court should order the deposition of Lightfoot herself “on oral examination.”
In a separate motion, Judicial Watch also asked the court to compel the mayor’s office to answer 19 questions that LeFurgy had refused to answer during her deposition.
“Because she has not and cannot demonstrate that her refusal to answer these questions is proper, Mayor Lightfoot’s designee should be required to answer them and reasonable follow-up questions,” the filing said.
In a news release Wednesday, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said Lightfoot must testify since her policy was the impetus for the discrimination case.
“Testimony in this lawsuit confirms Mayor Lightfoot is responsible for her racist interview policy and is therefore a necessary witness in this civil rights lawsuit,” Fitton said.
Neil Patel, the president of the Daily Caller News Foundation, also urged the court to compel the mayor to submit to a deposition.
“Based on the court proceedings to date it sure seems like Mayor Lightfoot is trying to dodge responsibility for her racist interview policy. We hope the court does not let this happen,” Patel said.
Catenacci, the reporter who was denied an interview, said Lightfoot should be held accountable for her discriminatory conduct.
“It’s high time Mayor Lightfoot answered directly for denying my interview request. The mayor must be held responsible for her blatantly racist interview policy,” Catenacci said.
This controversy erupted in May when Lightfoot announced that she would grant interviews only to “black and brown journalists” to “celebrate” her second anniversary in office.
The mayor cannot deny her actions because she bragged about them in a May 19 memo.
As @chicagosmayor reaches her two year midway point as mayor, her spokeswoman says Lightfoot is granting 1 on 1 interviews – only to Black or Brown journalists pic.twitter.com/PAUsacD9Gj
— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) May 18, 2021
Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against her on May 27 on behalf of the Daily Caller News Foundation and its reporter.
Catenacci, a white male, had emailed Lightfoot’s office requesting an interview with the mayor. Her office ignored his initial request as well as his two follow-up emails, he said.
The mayor remains unrepentant about her racist policy.
Over the summer, Lightfoot defiantly told New York Times podcaster Kara Swisher that she was “unapologetic” about discriminating against white reporters.
“I would absolutely do it again,” Lightfoot said in July. “I’m unapologetic about it because it spurred a very important conversation, a conversation that needed to happen, that should have happened a long time ago.”
It’s only right that she should be compelled to defend her racist policy in court.
Please consider becoming a $10 a month donor. (Donate HERE)
Stillness in the Storm Editor: Why did we post this?
The news is important to all people because it is where we come to know new things about the world, which leads to the development of more life goals that lead to life wisdom. The news also serves as a social connection tool, as we tend to relate to those who know about and believe the things we do. With the power of an open truth-seeking mind in hand, the individual can grow wise and the collective can prosper.
– Justin
Not sure how to make sense of this? Want to learn how to discern like a pro? Read this essential guide to discernment, analysis of claims, and understanding the truth in a world of deception: 4 Key Steps of Discernment – Advanced Truth-Seeking Tools.
Stillness in the Storm Editor’s note: Did you find a spelling error or grammatical mistake? Send an email to [email protected], with the error and suggested correction, along with the headline and url. Do you think this article needs an update? Or do you just have some feedback? Send us an email at [email protected]. Thank you for reading.
Source:
Support our work! (Avoid Big Tech PayPal and Patreon)DIRECT DONATION
Leave a Reply