Some call on mayor to fire aide accused of using antisemitic language, disparaging police officers

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Several aldermen are calling for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to fire one of his top aides. Kennedy Bartley is accused of using antisemitic language on social media and making inflammatory remarks about police officers on a podcast.

"Many people who understand and know the role that police officers play within society," Johnson said. "That's not something I would say."

During a 2021 podcast, Bartley was discussing the death of a Black man after he was stopped by police. She said, "If I die at the hands of the (expletive) pigs, don't name (expletive) after me. I don't want legislation named after me. I would be honored if it got more folks to abolition."

The words were hurtful for 10th Ward Alderman Pete Chico who is a former Chicago police officer.

"When I heard them, I thought about the men and women officers every day, especially those coming off the DNC, working 12, 13, 14 hours a day," he said.

Chico said Bartley called to apologize. She also reached out to several other aldermen, including Public Safety Committee chairman Brian Hopkins.

"She walked those comments back and said that since she has started working at City Hall, she's gotten to know some of the Chicago police officers assigned to City Hall, and that it has changed her opinion of the police having those personal relationships," Hopkins said.

Ald. Deborah Silverstein, who represents the 50th Ward, is also calling on the removal of Bartley, saying two days after the October 7 Hamas attack on Jews in Israel, Bartley tweeted what's believed to be an antisemitic rallying cry. She also said Bartley was part of a group that heckled her during the cease-fire resolution.

Despite Bartley's words, Johnson just promoted her to the head of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and he has no plans to fire her.

"What I know about Kennedy is that she's a very competent individual," he said.