Chicago City Council passes resolution barring employment for Jan. 6 participants

CHICAGO (WGN) — Alders on Wednesday approved a resolution that calls on the city’s human resources department to disqualify any participant of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol from employment with the city.

“These individuals really made it very clear that they did not want to accept the results of the election,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said at his post-council press conference. “I do believe that as a city we do have to draw the line. We have to set a standard for how we work to continue to do the things that are necessary to make sure that our democracy continues to evolve.” 

The vote was 43-3, with Alds. Nicholas Sposato (38th Ward), Anthony Napolitano (41st Ward) and James Gardiner (45th Ward) voting against the measure.

“There’s 500 that deserve no mercy as far as I’m concerned, those 500 that fought with the police. I have no sympathy for them,” Sposato said. “But the thousand that were only trespassing? We’re going to ruin somebody’s life, even though this is nothing. This is a nothingburger.”

Gardiner said that while the attack was “despicable” and that he’s never voted for Donald Trump, he had concerns about the legality of the measure.

“Do we have the authority to say yea to somebody and nay to somebody else depending upon the type of crime committed?” he asked his colleagues. “My concern: is the city setting themselves up for problems in the future?”

Ald. Gil Villegas (36th Ward), who previously served in the US Marine Corps., said those who broke into the capitol were “criminals” who assaulted police officers, vandalized public property and threatened the lives of lawmakers.

“Those who participated in this attack those who encouraged it and those who continue to spread falsehoods to justify it must be held accountable,” he said. “You should not be able to work for the same government that you are attempting to overthrow.”

Ald. Bill Conway (34th Ward), a US Navy reservist who was acting as senior intelligence director of the US European command during the attack, agreed.

“I will only say that is not a day or night I would like to repeat and I say that on behalf of myself, our military and our country,” he said.

Villegas was the chief sponsor of the resolution, with Alds. Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward), Bill Conway (34th Ward), and Matt Martin (47th Ward) co-sponsors.

Gov. JB Pritzker took similar action at the state level earlier this year.

The Chicago Sun-Times notes that more than 50 Illinoisans faced Jan. 6 charges, including Chicago police officer Karol Chwiesiuk, who was later fired.

President Donald Trump made good on a long-standing campaign promise, issuing pardons to nearly all Jan. 6 defendants just hours into his second presidency.