Dorothy Brown endorses Amara Enyia in Chicago mayor's race

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Former mayoral candidate Dorothy Brown, the Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court, has thrown her support behind Amara Enyia.

Brown's choice is somewhat of a surprise, and it's an endorsement that comes with a cloud hanging over it.

With cheers from their supporters, Brown joined forces with Enyia, touting her as a breath of fresh air to Chicago politics.

"It's time for honesty, integrity, to put that back into city government," Brown said.

It's a comment that might strike some voters as strange coming from Brown, who has been under investigation by the FBI for an alleged scheme to sell jobs and promotions in her office. Enyia dismissed those concerns.

"Well, I have no say or control over what the FBI does or the nature of these investigations. I think, again, at the end of the day, we just have to make sure that the process plays itself out," Enyia said.

Brown was kicked off the ballot for mayor earlier this month by the Chicago Board of Elections because she did not have enough valid signatures. She shares a support base from churches with Willie Wilson and was asked why she did not endorse him in the race for Chicago mayor. She said it was because he challenged her petitions and added another reason that she did not elaborate on.

"There have been some things over the years that I have learned that were very concerning to me, in the area of honesty and integrity that just does not fit right for me," Brown said.

"Well I have all the respect in the world for her, I have nothing bad to say about her, but what she is talking about now, I have no idea what that is," Wilson responded.

Enyia said she was excited to have Brown's support and brushed off questions about Brown's endorsement carrying a cloud.

"What I'm worried about is we have several candidates already in the race who have significant ties, established official ties to corruption," Enyia said to loud cheers from supporters standing behind her at the city hall news conference. "Those candidates are being labeled as front runners. I'm worried about the future of this city."

Enyia's comments seemed directed at Toni Preckwinkle and Susana Mendoza who have been connected recently to embattled aldermen Ed Burke and Danny Solis because of campaign donations.

Preckwinkle and Mendoza both declined to comment.