Chicago mayor did not intentionally conceal info after botched raid, report finds

An outside probe found “failures in oversight and accountability” by Chicago city departments that responded to a botched police raid in 2019 but maintained that Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) and others did not act “with malicious intent” to hide information.

“Our review did not reveal any evidence suggesting that the Mayor or any current or former City employee took action with malicious intent to add to Ms. [Anjanette] Young’s mistreatment or to otherwise harm her in connection with the City’s response to the search of her home,” the report said on Thursday. 

The report, led by former federal judge Ann Claire Williams and the law firm Jones Day, added that city employees did at times fail to “recognize the seriousness” of the incident. 

“While not malicious, these deficiencies generally resulted from City employees failing to recognize and effectuate the values of public service,” the report added.

The investigation, as well as a $2.9 million settlement for Young, was prompted by a February 2019 police raid that occurred at Young’s home while she was getting ready for bed.

Acting on a bad tip, officers made Young stand handcuffed and naked while they searched her home. Later, Lightfoot reportedly tried to prohibit CBS-2, a local news station, from airing police video footage from the raid.

At first, Lightfoot said she “had no knowledge” of the raid or refusal to provide the video footage. She later acknowledged she was emailed about the situation, but said she did not recall the messages.

“In February of 2019, Ms. Young was denied her basic dignity as a human being. What she experienced was unacceptable,” Lightfoot said in a statement on Thursday.

“While my words cannot change what happened to Ms. Young, it is my sincere hope the settlement award and the release of the Jones Day report brings some measure of peace to her, her family, her community, and our city,” the mayor added.