William J. Kelly, an Emmy award-winning TV host, radio and print journalist recently went viral after he gave a devastating speech targeting Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot during a city council meeting.
Kelly had his media credentials revoked by the mayor after he asked her numerous questions about crime in the city that went viral on social media, causing damage to Lightfoot’s re-election campaign. He argued that such an action should not be taken in a country that values freedom of the press.
Kelly also accused Lightfoot of mishandling the pandemic, shutting down schools, churches and businesses which has caused significant harm to the city of Chicago. To make matters worse, he suggested that this is how history will remember her as mayor – for her failure to properly manage a crisis and bring about positive change for its citizens.
“You became mayor, the people of Chicago elected you. You shut down our schools, you shut down the churches, you shut down the businesses. You did the one thing that I thought could never happen. As somebody who was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, I never thought in my life that I would ever see the city of Chicago brought down so low as you have managed to bring it down,” he said.
“Shame on you. That is a legacy that you are going to have to carry. Future historians are going to have a hard time understanding how you ever even became mayor of the city of Chicago. I intend to write that book.”
“I intend to make sure that at least there is some possible way for the city of Chicago to move forward. I hope that you realize what damage you have done to the city,” Kelly finished.
“I hope that after today’s city council meeting, you will pack your suitcase and get the hell out of my city. You are a pandemic. You are a pandemic.”
NEW: Journalist who was banned by Lori Lightfoot for asking tough questions unloads, tells her to “get the hell out of my city.”
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 16, 2023
His lawsuit against Lightfoot was eventually dismissed by a federal judge in 2022 due to lack of evidence supporting his First Amendment freedom of press claim, 14th Amendment equal protection claim and 14th Amendment due process claim. However, this did not stop him from making his point heard during the council meeting as he expressed his anger at Lightfoot’s actions and urged her to take responsibility for what she had done.
