The newest salvo within the ongoing feud between Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones and Clerk Nyota Figgs was delivered Wednesday night when a lawsuit involving each events was dismissed by metropolis council members throughout a particular assembly held at ‘open on the steps of the city corridor.
Ald. James Patton, sixth Ward, stated he known as the particular assembly after repeated failures to position a movement to dismiss the lawsuit on the agendas of normal metropolis conferences. He stated the mayor has taken management of the agenda from the clerk and is stopping council motion on the lawsuit, which alleges Figgs illegally destroyed metropolis data.
“I feel the lawsuit is nonsense,” Patton, who’s working in opposition to Jones for mayor in 2025, stated Thursday.
He added that he believes the costs had been primarily based on false data gathered by City Auditor Alyssia Benford. Benford not too long ago challenged Figgs’ re-election as metropolis clerk primarily based on his metropolis of residence, whereas Figgs opposes Jones’ candidacy primarily based on his residency and the truth that he holds two authorities positions. Both challenges can be heard by town’s election board on Friday.
Jones despatched a discover to aldermen Wednesday afternoon canceling the particular assembly and all different actions scheduled that day at City Hall “attributable to a pest management emergency and water pipe points” throughout the constructing , based on the e-mail obtained.
Patton stated he anticipated Jones to intervene with the assembly due to his private curiosity within the lawsuit, and reported that workers modified the locks on the entrances to City Hall and barricaded the constructing shortly earlier than the scheduled assembly. He stated he knowledgeable the mayor’s workplace upfront that the council would maintain the assembly outside with out the mayor’s chair if he refused to cooperate.
Jones stated in an announcement that aldermen might have rescheduled the particular assembly and that the council acted with out correct authority. He cited an ordinance that claims solely the mayor can direct town’s litigation.
“This is a political ploy by a failed candidate and a metropolis worker who destroyed metropolis data,” Jones stated.
An legal professional representing town within the lawsuit, Keri-Lyn Krafthefer, of the agency Ancel Glink, stated Thursday that she was ready for steering from the mayor on whether or not to drop the lawsuit. He additionally stated Jones is the one individual with authority over Calumet City’s authorized issues.
The case stalled Monday after Judge Alison Conlon recused herself after disclosing that she could have distributed literature for Jones when he ran for state consultant in 2016.
The civil criticism alleges that quickly after Jones was elected mayor in 2021, Figgs “secretly and with out approval” destroyed two truckloads of metropolis paperwork and later admitted doing so.
However, Figgs’ legal professional, Jim Kelly, stated Figgs had the correct approval to get rid of the paperwork and that the lawsuit represents solely Jones’ “political vendetta” in opposition to her. He added that Jones sued Figgs on behalf of town with out the council’s approval, which is essential regardless of the mayor’s place as the first decision-maker within the metropolis’s authorized issues.
Patton stated if Jones’ attorneys transfer ahead with the lawsuit, he’ll name one other particular assembly to make a movement to dismiss the attorneys. The dismissal of the case was accepted in the course of the extraordinary assembly by all these current, together with the Alds. Patton, Monet Wilson, Michael Navarette, DeJuan Gardner and DeAndre Tillman.
“This may be very typical of (Jones),” Patton stated of his efforts to dam the council’s dismissal of the lawsuit. “He’s attempting to run town like a dictator. I feel it’s extremely important that one of many aldermen working in your slate, (Tillman), confirmed up and voted with us final evening.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
