Lightfoot said Ald. Jim Gardiner’s (45th) private apologies were a “basic” step, but said she wants him to say he’s sorry publicly.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot Monday called on Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th) to publicly apologize for a series of profane texts, which included a swear word directed at an alderman and another alderman’s chief of staff.
Some of the language in the texts “should never be used in public or private,” Lightfoot said, adding that she spoke with Gardiner and told him he had to apologize.
Gardiner’s texts with a former aide were made public last week by the anonymous blog The People’s Fabric, which describes itself as a Northwest Side political watchdog.
In one exchange, Gardiner refers to Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) as a “b----” and said “f--- him.”
In another text, Gardiner refers to Ald. Scott Waguespack’s chief of staff, Anne Emerson, as the 32nd Ward alderperson’s “b----.”
Waguespack and Tunney said Gardiner called them last week and apologized.
Emerson, who asked Gardiner for a face-to-face meeting, said she still hasn’t heard back from the alderman as of Monday.
Lightfoot said she also took issue with a text in which Gardiner potentially talked about withholding services from a constituent and said, “f--- that c---.” That constituent donated to another aldermanic candidate in 2019, according to The People’s Fabric.
The “suggestion that someone is going to be deprived of city services because of who they supported or didn’t support in an election” is “never, ever acceptable,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot said Gardiner’s private apologies were a “basic” step, but said she wants him to say he’s sorry publicly for the misogynistic language he used.
“Women take way too much abuse in public, in the workplace and otherwise,” the mayor said. “I know that firsthand and it’s not acceptable, and I think he understands that. I need him to make sure that he is very public about the fact, not only that he’s apologizing, but some of the words that were used are words that should never be used in public or private.”
Reached for comment Monday, Gardiner said he’s “busy right now with my family — thank you” and hung up on a Chicago Sun-Times reporter. He later asked that all questions be emailed to him.
from Chicago Sun-Times - All https://ift.tt/3h4kR3p
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