Alders, ex-employees claim Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's office abuses Do Not Hire List
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Some heavy allegations have been lodged against Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Two aldermen allege the Mayor's office abuses the city's Do Not Hire List to intimidate employees. They call the actions by the mayor's team unethical and illegal.
Those on the Do Not Hire List say it is a stinging place to have one's name. Anyone placed on Chicago's Do Not Hire List is blacklisted—barred from city employment—but it also comes up if outside employers call the city to check a job applicant's background.
It turns out that four former employees of the mayor's team were fired then put on the list for reasons that two aldermen say fall well short of what the list was intended for.
Azhley Rodriguez one of those employees.
"I wanted to grow, and I wanted to be able to improve in my career and get farther—and this absolutely stopped me in my tracks," she said.
Josue Ortiz was another.
"Why did it have to go this direction?" he said.
Rodriguez and Ortiz were both fired from Mayor Johnson's fifth-floor team at City Hall. Both were put on the Do Not Hire List—until they were removed with the help of two aldermen who suspect something is going on behind the doors of the Mayor's office.
"The big issue we're addressing here is the abuse of the Do Not Hire List, and the atmosphere that was created in an office to create intimidation, hostility, toxicity," said Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th).
Rodriguez and Ortiz worked for and around Mayor Johnson's close friend and communications director Ronnie Reese, who was himself fired last month over allegations of sexual harassment and misogyny.
"What Mr. Reese did, again, is illegal activity, unethical activity," said Waguespack, "and we need to rectify it through the City Council—because the mayor, unfortunately, has not taken responsibility for these actions."
Villegas concurred.
"What we saw under Ronnie Reese, and in this administration, was just an abuse of an ordinance that was put in place to deal with infamous crimes—not to be used as a political retribution or payback," he said.
Reese himself was not placed on the Do Not Hire List, but alders think that too should be revisited.
"When you look at the sexual harassment policy that not only applies to the City of Chicago employees, but to the entire city, he should be on that list," said Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd).
Mayor Johnson on Monday claimed not to know about the Reese allegations until a media outlet filed a Freedom of Information Act request on Reese.
"The FOIA request was the first that we were hearing of those allegations," the mayor said.
Waguespack questioned the mayor's claim that he knew nothing of the claims against Reese.
"When you look at the documentation, it's pretty clear to me that the mayor knew about it—or should have known about it—and should have done something immediately," Waguespack said.
Both Villegas and Waguespack are working to modify the city's HR policy to prevent Do Not Hire List abuse by city leaders in the future.
"It completely ruined the future I would have," Rodriguez said.
City Department of Human Resources Comissioner Sandra Blakemore was before the City Council Tuesday, and was asked about the issues surrounding Reese.
The Mayor's Chief of Staff, according to documents obtained by CBS News Chicago, referenced the use of "peace circles" to help aid those complaining about Reese. Blakemore was also asked about that claim Tuesday, and responded, ""I don't know what a 'peace circle' is."
CBS News Chicago reached out to the Mayor's office and Reese for a comment, but had not heard back late Tuesday.