Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s top lawyer says city may not defend Chicago aldermen if demands on minority participation cause vendor to sue

Chicago’s top lawyer under Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned aldermen on Tuesday that city’s law department may not represent them if a vendor sues over demands made by City Council members during committee hearings. In a letter to the City Council, Lightfoot’s handpicked law department head Mark Flessner said aldermen cross a line if they demand “the inclusion or exclusion of particular vendors or categories of vendors such as by race or ethnic origin in order to secure their vote.”