A hot microphone Wednesday caught Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot calling a city police union leader a “clown.”
As Patrick Murray, the union’s second in command, rose to speak at a city council meeting, Lightfoot commented, “Oh, back again, this FOP clown,” Chicago’s Fox 32 television reported.
Lori Lightfoot speaks after being sworn in as Chicago’s 56th mayor by Judge Susan E. Cox during an inauguration ceremony at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. May 20, 2019. REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski
It’s not clear whether Lightfoot knew the microphone was on or not, but her words her audible throughout the building. (RELATED: Lori Lightfoot Wins Chicago Mayoral Race, Will Fill Rahm Emanuel’s Spot)
Murray was present at the council meeting to defend some Chicago police officers who were fired last week for their involvement in a local shooting.
The FOP was not amused by the mayor’s assessment of Murray, saying in a statement that her remarks were “a misguided and dangerous thing to say to a 30-year veteran police officer, particularly at a time when the city is facing such chronic violent crime.”
Protestors organized by the Fraternal Order of Police call for the removal of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx on April 01, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Lightfoot, who is Chicago’s first black woman mayor and is openly lesbian, has doubled-down on her municipality’s sanctuary city status and has not established a friendly relationship with Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).
Murray has been critical of how the mayor is a conducting a city-wide assessment of public safety and police reform because she has neglected to include the police union in those discussions. Lightfoot has countered that Murray just wants to maintain the status quo in the city. (RELATED: New Mayor Of Chicago’s Focus Is ‘Fighting Hate’)
The mayor has also placed herself in opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and President Donald Trump’s plans to use the agency to apprehend illegal immigrants in Chicago and other major cities across the United States. Lightfoot has said she will not cooperate with ICE officials because “Chicago has taken concrete steps to support our immigrant communities.”
Despite municipal gun laws, Chicago continues to deal with record homicide rates and is a virtual shooting gallery on some holiday weekends. Last Memorial Day, shooting incidents exceeded those from the year before.