In a short email sent to staff on Sunday (December 20), Attorney Mark Flessner announced he’d no longer be working as Corporation Counsel for the city of Chicago. His brief statement said he’d be working on a transition plan.
Flessner told The Chicago Tribune his announcement was prompted by the release of the video of a botched police raid in February 2019 that left 50-year-old Anjanette Young unclothed and naked, pleading with police that they had the wrong home.
An investigation by a local news outlet uncovered a pattern the city’s police department has in executing wrong raids.
Flessner denies accusations that he worked to hide the video, per a report by NPR. It’s unclear if he was asked to resign.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who denied knowing about the incident, said she accepted Flessner’s resignation effective immediately in a statement on Sunday (December 20).
The release of the raid on Young’s house was only made possible following a long legal battle between the city, Young, and local tv outlet WBBM. The city initially denied Young’s Freedom of Information Act request, which prompted her lawyers to file a lawsuit against the city to obtain the video.
Lawyers representing the city of Chicago filed a motion in federal court in an attempt to block WBBM from broadcasting the video. They also filed sanctions against Young and her attorney after the video leaked, accusing them of violating a confidentiality agreement. They dropped the motion to sanction Young and her attorneys on December 18, a document Flessner signed himself after Lightfoot urged him to do so.
“I want to be explicit that at no time did the City ever seek sanctions against Ms. Young,” Lightfoot said in a statement, “and, to remove any doubt, we specifically affirm that no such sanctions were ever sought against her. Moreover, at my direction, the Corporation Counsel will formally move to withdraw sanctions,” against Young’s lawyer.
Photo: Getty Images