Chicago alderman accused of physically restraining colleague before vote
CHICAGO (CBS) – There were calls Saturday night for Mayor Brandon Johnson's City Council floor leader to step down from that position.
The Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus alleged Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) tried to physically restrain Ald. Emma Mitts (37th), the longest-serving woman on the council, from entering the chambers this week. The caucus described the alleged conduct as "bullying."
It happened in the minutes before a heated vote related to Chicago's sanctuary city status.
The caucus called Ramirez-Rosa unprofessional and said the physical and verbal harassment "let down our council and the people of Chicago."
"This matter is an unfortunate and direct reminder of the decades of challenges that African-American women serving in City Council have had to overcome in our combined efforts to enhance the upward mobility of our collective communities," the caucus said in a statement.
The caucus members also called on Ramirez-Rosa to publicly acknowledge the alleged conduct and apologize to Mitts.
CBS 2 reached out to Ramirez-Rosa and the mayor's office for comment.
Mitts, who is also the head of the Contracting Oversight and Equity Committee, has also not commented on the incident.
