Scathing email from former Chicago Human Relations Commissioner reveals turmoil at City Hall

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A scathing email is giving new insight into why a former city commissioner left her job last month. In it, Nancy Andrade accused two senior leaders in Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration of bullying, lying about her, and creating a hostile work environment.

ABC7 obtained a copy of that email this week, along with how the mayor's office responded.

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Nancy Andrade is the former Human Relations Commissioner who resigned last month. She stated at the time the decision was for family reasons, but a Freedom of Information Act request reveals there was a lot more turmoil and controversy connected to her job that was going on behind the scenes.

An email from Andrade paints a critical picture of Mayor Johnson's Chief Equity officer Carla Kupe and Chief of Staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas.

Much of the frustration stems from a report the Human Relations Commission had been preparing on the rise in Jewish hate crimes in Chicago, a report that began with a public hearing last September.

Andrade wrote in a March 12 email that the Human Relations Commission "was prohibited from livestreaming the public hearing despite requests from the public and my own request to do so."

When the mayor's office, with the help of an out-of-town consultant, revised the hate crimes report, Andrade balked.

In her email, she said what had been a "Jewish Lives Matter" report was diluted to become an "All Lives Matter" report.

READ MORE | Chicago's Jewish community concerned about fallout after human relations commissioner resigns

In follow-up meetings, including one on Feb. 9, Kupe and Pacione-Zayas informed Andrade about "informal reports from your staff about a hostile work environment." It is something Andrade denied, prompting her lengthy email in March that accused her superiors of conduct that was "egregious, shameful, disturbing, hostile, bullying, utterly unethical and unprofessional."

Andrade, in turn, accused Kupe and Pacione-Zayas of creating a hostile work environment.

On Wednesday, the mayor's office responded, saying Andrade's accusations "are patently false. Any allegations of quid pro quo, spreading of rumors, and a hostile work environment have no basis and directly contradict communication between the two parties preceding Andrade's March 12 email."

ABC7 reached out to Andrade on Wednesday, and she declined to comment. In her email, she wrote that due to efforts that threatened her reputation, she had to write what she did to "set the record straight."

Turnover is not unusual, but the President of the Better Government Association David Greising said instead of a revolving door, it seems more like there's an exit door with Johnson's administration .