Lightfoot accused of profanity-laced tirade against Park District lawyers over Christopher Columbus statue deal
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Lori Lightfoot is being accused of using obscene and derogatory language in a heated meeting with Park District lawyers over a statue of Christopher Columbus.
The meeting involved the removal of the Columbus statue from Arrigo park in 2020.
A defamation lawsuit by former Chicago Park District deputy general counsel George Smyrniotis says former park district superintendent Mike Kelly and the district's top lawyer wanted a quick settlement with Italian American groups upset about the removal. The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans wanted to wanted to display the statue on the last float in their annual Columbus Day parade, for about 20 minutes, and then return it to the Park District.
Smyrniotis also suggested eventually giving the statue to the group if they agreed to permanently remove it from the city, since it was already highly unlikely it would ever be returned to Arrigo Park, according to the lawsuit. Park District General Counsel Timothy King agreed to the arrangement, because the Park District believed it would help create good will with the Italian American group after removing the statue from Arrigo Park. King also ran the deal past other top Park District staffers, who approved the offer.
But the suit claims Lightfoot was irate about a tentative deal to let the groups use that statue in a parade, and threatened to pull the permit for the parade if the Columbus statue was going to be displayed at all.
She also arranged a hasty Zoom call with Park District leaders, during which she angrily berated lawyers for the proposed deal, asking them "you d***s, what the f*** were you thinking?
"You make some kind of secret agreement with Italians, what are you doing, you are out there measuring your d***s over the Columbus statue, I am trying to keep Chicago Police officers from being shot and you are trying to get them shot. My d*** is bigger than yours and the Italians. I have the biggest d*** in Chicago," Lightfoot said, according to the lawsuit. "Where did you go to law school? Did you even go to law school? Do you even have a law license?"
Lightfoot is also accused of telling the Park District not to do anything with the statue without her approval.
"Get that f***ing statue back before noon tomorrow or I am going to have you fired," she said, according to the lawsuit.
Smyrniotis said the mayor's comments made others think he couldn't do his job. He resigned last month.
Lightfoot's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Lightfoot in July 2020 ordered the removal of the Columbus statues from Grant Park and Arrigo Park, after protesters tried to tear down the one in Grant Park, setting off violent clashes with police.
