Lightfoot addresses investigation after campaign accused of trying to recruit students
'Chuy' Garcia, Paul Vallas had already condemned campaign's move
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago Public Schools Office of Inspector General has opened an investigation after Mayor Lori Lightfoot's campaign tried to recruit CPS students to help with her reelection effort in exchange for class credit, a spokesperson said Thursday.
The spokesperson said the office is "currently gathering information to determine which, if any, policies have been violated."
In a press conference Thursday afternoon, Lightfoot called the outreach email a "mistake" and said the "well-intentioned" campaign staff member responsible has been spoken to. Lightfoot added that the lone staffer found the publicly accessible emails through a Google search and that her campaign is using this incident as a learning moment.
The campaign was already responding to backlash after an email, obtained by ABC7 Chicago, sent by Lightfoot's deputy campaign manager Tuesday to an unknown number of teachers asked them to "please share this opportunity" with their students about an "externship program."
It goes on to say that they're looking for "enthusiastic, curious and hard-working young people eager to help Mayor Lightfoot win this spring."
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Backlash to the move had been swift.
Lightfoot's team is now calling this a "common practice" and learning opportunity that's been offered by campaigns for decades.
However, their statement also says that "campaign staff have been reminded about the solid wall that must exist between campaign and official activities. And that contacts with any city of Chicago, or other sister agency employees, including CPS employees, even through publicly available sources is off limits."
ABC7 Chicago political analyst Laura Washington says this is an indefensible and obvious ethical misstep.
WATCH | ABC7 political analyst Laura Washington talks about Lightfoot campaign email 'mistake'
"There doesn't seem to be any intent to do wrongdoing here, but it was certainly inappropriate," Washington said. "You don't ever mix politics with government. You don't ever ask a government agency that you oversee to get involved in your political campaign."
Joe Ferguson, Chicago's former inspector general, tweeted "This is deeply, deeply problematic.
The Lightfoot campaign is being called unethical by several critics, and several of the mayor's challengers are speaking out against the move.
That includes Congressman "Chuy" García, who tweeted, in part, that "this is deeply problematic."
Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas, who was the former head of CPS, went a step further, saying, "Accountability demands an independent inquiry in the form of a joint City and CPS Inspector General investigation."
"You need to answer the questions: Did my campaign know it? Was I aware of it? Am I gonna take action against those who clearly violated the ethical standards....of both the city as well as the school district," Vallas said.
The Chicago Teacher's Union is calling the email Lightfoot's "latest ethical failure."
The CTU said Chicago doesn't deserve this kind of appalling mis-leadership.
