Skip to content

Judicial Watch, Inc. is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law.

Judicial Watch, Inc. is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law.

Because no one
is above the law!

Donate

Press Releases

Judicial Watch Seeks to Depose Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot about Her Racist Interview Policy

(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a motion for court authorization to depose Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the currently pending civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Thomas Catenacci and the Daily Caller News Foundation regarding her policy of only granting interviews to “journalists of color.”

On May 18, 2021, Mayor Lightfoot’s office informed multiple reporters that she would grant one-on-one interviews, “only to Black or Brown journalists.” The next day, the mayor released a letter confirming her discriminatory policy.

On May 27, 2021, Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Daily Caller News Foundation and reporter Thomas Catenacci against Lightfoot for violating their First Amendment Rights and Catenacci’s right to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment (Catenacci et al. v. Lightfoot (No. 1:21-cv-02852)).

Catenacci, a white male, emailed Mayor Lightfoot’s office requesting a one-on-one interview with the mayor. The office never replied to the request or to multiple follow up emails from Catenacci.

In August, the court ordered the deposition of a representative of Lightfoot’s office.

In its motionJudicial Watch points out:

Defendant Lori Lightfoot breached her obligation … to designate a person or persons to testify on her behalf concerning topics authorized by the Court. From the earliest moments of the deposition, it was beyond clear that Mayor Lightfoot failed to produce a witness who could testify to the factual issues raised in her motion to dismiss and within the scope of the Court’s order. Specifically, Kathleen LeFurgy, Mayor Lightfoot’s designee … was grossly ill prepared to testify as Mayor Lightfoot’s designee.

Judicial Watch asks the court to order the deposition of Lightfoot herself “on oral examination …”

In a separate motion, Judicial Watch also asks the court to order the mayor’s office to answer 19 questions and any reasonable follow-up questions that LeFurgy had refused to answer during the deposition.

“Based on the court proceedings to date it sure seems like Mayor Lightfoot is trying to dodge responsibility for her racist interview policy. We hope the court does not let this happen,” Daily Caller News Foundation President Neil Patel said.

“It’s high time Mayor Lightfoot answered directly for denying my interview request. The mayor must be held responsible for her blatantly racist interview policy,” Thomas Catenacci said.

“Testimony in this lawsuit confirms Mayor Lightfoot is responsible for her racist interview policy and is therefore a necessary witness in this civil rights lawsuit,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

Christine Svenson of Svenson Law Offices in Palatine, Illinois, is assisting Judicial Watch with the lawsuit. 

###


Related

HUGE Election Lawsuit Victory

Historic Judicial Watch Victory: Federal Appeals Court Rules Against Counting of Ballots Received after Election Day Records Confirm Agent on Harris Secret Service Detail Broke int...

Judicial Watch: Records Confirm Agent on Harris Secret Service Detail Broke into Massachusetts Hair…

Press Releases | November 01, 2024
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it uncovered 62 pages of records from the Department of Homeland Security thanks to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit wh...

Mass Migration Ignites U.S. Tuberculosis Resurgence, Foreigners Account for 76% of Last Year’s Cases

Corruption Chronicles | October 31, 2024
Besides compromising the safety of Americans by releasing over half a million illegal immigrants with criminal records in communities throughout the United States, the Biden admini...