Amid the ongoing uproar over the botched Chicago police raid of the home of Anjanette Young, Mark Flessner has resigned his post as corporation counsel for the city of Chicago.
Flessner made the announcement on social media Sunday afternoon, confirming earlier reports from the Chicago Tribune.
Here is Flessner's full statement:
“Today I offered my letter of resignation to Mayor Lori Lightfoot. It has been an honor to serve as Corporation Counsel for the city of Chicago for the last two years, and to be a part of my friend Lori’s team. I am tremendously proud of my work for the Lightfoot administration and all that we have accomplished.
“There has recently been a great deal of attention drawn to the 2019 raid of Anjanette Young’s home. Monday was the first involvement that I had with the case surrounding Anjanette Young, pertaining to the video footage that was obtained by police. It is clear that the raid of Anjanette Young’s home was a tragedy that we must learn from.
“Standing up for racial injustice and fighting for equality within our justice system are crucial matters that we must continue to work toward addressing as a community.”
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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern that she “sought and received” Flessner’s resignation, and met with the attorney at his home in Ukrainian Village.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Flessner said he is resigning because of the “firestorm” surrounding the release of the tape of a raid at the home of Young.
“I’m resigning because of the firestorm around the whole tape thing,” he told the Tribune. “I’m being accused of trying to hide it, which is not true.”
The raid, which took place in Feb. 2019, came to light in recent days after a video was published, which showed a handcuffed Young standing naked in her home for several minutes. Young is heard in the video telling officers that they are in the wrong home, and she and her attorney confirm that her home was not the target of the search warrant.
Video of the incident was later obtained by Young as part of a lawsuit against the city, and was obtained by several Chicago news outlets, including NBC 5.
Flessner has frequently been the focal point of controversy in the city, including in Dec. 2019 when he admitted to collecting property tax exemptions on two different properties, with state law only allowing for exemptions to be collected on one such property.
An NBC 5 Investigates report revealed that Flessner’s primary residence was a South Loop condo, but he also received a property tax break on a residence in Naperville.
Flessner admitted to the mistake and said that he would pay back approximately $2,500 to the state of Illinois.
Flessner also came under scrutiny after he was criticized for receiving a pass to use a private road, nicknamed “The Bat Cave,” that connects downtown Chicago and McCormick Place, a road primarily used by city officials to avoid traffic jams.
