Chicago Mayor Lightfoot launched into expletive-filled rant during Columbus statue dispute, lawsuit claims

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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot launched into an expletive-filled tirade before blocking a deal city officials made with an Italian American group regarding the display of a Christopher Columbus statue, according to a lawsuit reportedly filed Tuesday.

Former Chicago Park District deputy general counsel George Smyrniotis alleges in the lawsuit filed against the city and Lightfoot, obtained by Fox 32 and others, that the mayor revoked a deal the Chicago Park District had made with the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans to allow a Columbus statue to be displayed in the group’s annual Columbus parade last fall.

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Smyrniotis alleges that he made the deal with the Italian American group after Timothy King, then the district’s top lawyer, and then-superintendent Michael Kelly requested the matter to be settled "as soon as possible." King approved the request for the statue to be displayed in the parade, the suit claimed.

According to the lawsuit, Lightfoot hastily called a virtual meeting of Park District officials after learning of the deal and threatened pull the permit for the parade. She then allegedly "proceeded to berate and defame" the lawyers and threatened their jobs.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during the 90th Winter Meeting of USCM on January 20, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

"Where did you go to law school? Did you even go to law school? Do you even have a law license?" Lightfoot allegedly said to Smyrniotis and King. "Get that f------ statue back before noon tomorrow or I am going to have you fired."

"You make some kind of secret agreement with Italians. … You are out there stroking your d---- over the Columbus statue, I am trying to keep Chicago police officers from being shot and you are trying to get them shot," she allegedly said. "My d--- is bigger than yours and the Italians, I have the biggest d--- in Chicago."

Chicago's Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a science initiative event at the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. July 23, 2020. (REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski)

Smyrniotis alleged the mayor’s rant affected his ability to perform his job. He and King were no longer employed with the Park District.

A Chicago Law Department spokeswoman told Fox News Digital the city "has not yet been served with a complaint and will have no further comment as the matter is now in litigation."

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Ron Onesti, president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, told the Chicago Tribune he’s "literally outraged that someone in her position would ever use words like that to refer to any group of individuals."

"When will it end with the disrespect?" he said.

The mayor's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.