The critic calls Ald. James Gardiner’s Remarks on Offensive Texts a ‘No Excuse’ and ‘Insufficient’ – CBS Chicago

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CHICAGO (CBS) – Ald. James Gardiner (45th) made his first public comments Tuesday on leaked text messages in which he used slurs when talking about another city councilor and women who work in city politics – but his critics say his words fell flat.

As CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar reported on Tuesday night, political consultant Joanna Klonsky and assistant alderman Anne Emerson were both the target of derogatory texts sent by Gardiner in 2019. The messages were sent to a former member from the staff who disclosed them to CBS 2.

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Gardiner read a written apology at the city council meeting on Tuesday.

“I stand in front of this body to offer my sincerest apologies for the pain and insult that anyone has endured as a result. I take full responsibility for my offensive comments in these messages, ”Gardiner said towards the end of the meeting. “I ran for office in the 45th parish because it was the community that helped me rise. My neighbors have become family and my commitment to them fuels my desire to help create a prosperous, welcoming, clean and safe neighborhood. Unfortunately, these comments do not reflect my values ​​or the efforts of our team who strive to make our parish a better place, and I am deeply sorry for that.

In some of the texts, which were obtained by CBS 2 political investigator Dana Kozlov, Gardiner calls women “sluts” and used the word to describe a fellow city councilor.

In a text, after Gardiner was informed, Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) was participating in an event, Gardiner replied, “Good. Is his bitch with him? White girl with dirty blonde hair? Emerson is a Waguespack assistant.

In another text, Gardiner refers to Ald. Tom Tunney as a “bitch” and “f — ing snake” after Tunney showed up for a meeting, which Gardiner hadn’t expected. The text ends with Gardiner saying: “Fk him.”

In another exchange, Gardiner calls Klonsky, a local director of political communications, a “stupid bitch.”

Gardiner also met privately with Klonsky and Emerson on Tuesday. They issued a joint statement which reads in part: “We have expressed our concerns to the Alderman about his apparent habitual use of misogynistic and degrading language. We asked him to consider the links between such language and his other concerning behavior.

While Gardiner issued a written statement apologizing for the comments and apologized directly to Tunney, Tuesday was the first time he spoke publicly about the controversy.

“I want to clarify that I never acted on these diatribes. However, they shouldn’t have been voiced by me, and it certainly wasn’t my intention to demean anyone, ”he said. “This has been embarrassing to many and offensive to others, and once again I would like to apologize to those referenced in the texts and to my family.”

“It’s a lie,” said Sara Gronkiewicz-Doran. “We know that’s a lie.”

Gronkiewicz-Doran is a resident of Ward 45 and is part of the United Northwest Side. The neighborhood group held a rally on Monday night calling for Gardiner’s resignation.

“It was a no-excuse and it’s insufficient,” said Gronkiewicz-Doran.

The leaked Gardiner messages also threaten to deny city services to a voter who opposed him, and even show the alderman asking a staff member to do a background check on a woman who had filed an order of protection against the alderman.

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“Essentially ordering an investigation or a hit on a former survivor,” Amanda Pyron said.

Pyron is the executive director of The Network, which advocates against domestic violence.

“What is happening is violence against women,” she said. “What is happening with Alderman Gardiner is misogyny and abuse of women whom he thinks he has a right to control, to insult and to belittle.”

While calls are increasing for the alderman to abandon his work, multiple investigations are now underway.

“We are concerned with words, but we are concerned with actions; retaliation against criticism; a use and abuse of his power as an elected official, ”said Gronkiewicz-Doran.

In his apology on Tuesday, Gardiner did not directly address a number of other recent controversies, including reports he used a member of the room staff to obtain private court records he could use in retaliation against political opponents.

Gardiner’s public apology came the same day, Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd) introduced a resolution calling on the city council’s rules committee to hold a hearing on her text messages.

She has already taken to Twitter to call on Gardiner to quit.

Gardiner was late for Tuesday’s city council meeting, arriving shortly after one of his critics spoke during the meeting’s public comment period, urging Gardiner to resign.

Pete Czosnyka, a frequent critic of Gardiner, said his criticism made him the target of retaliation.

A woman was filmed destroying the front yard of her Northwest Side home with a sport utility vehicle and screaming loudly while doing so. Czosnyka said the same woman in the same SUV had passed hours earlier shouting at her to leave Gardiner alone.

At Tuesday’s city council meeting, Czosnyka asserted “there will be more stories coming out” about Gardiner’s behavior, and urged aldermen to join him and Rodriguez-Sanchez in demanding the Gardiner’s resignation.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has previously recommended that the city’s inspector general review Gardiner’s comments on women, his possible retaliation against political opponents, and reports that he has refused to provide services to voters who criticized.

Mayor Lightfootot was asked about Ald on Tuesday. Gardiner’s apology at the city council meeting. She said it was not for her to determine whether the apology was sincere or not, but said Gardiner had read a prepared statement and probably did not answer questions from the news media was probably not the best way to handle it.

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According to published reports, federal investigators have launched an investigation into Gardiner’s conduct in office, including whether he retaliated against critics and political opponents in his neighborhood.

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