Amid the ongoing turmoil over the botched police raid on Anjanette Young’s home in Chicago, Mark Flessner has resigned as a corporate consultant for the City of Chicago.
Flessner made the announcement on Sunday afternoon on social media, confirming previous reports from the Chicago Tribune.
Today I offered my resignation letter as Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago. I have been honored to work with my friend @lorilightfoot for the past two years.
– Mark A. Flessner (@markflessner) December 20, 2020
Here is Flessner’s full statement:
“Today I offered my resignation letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot. I have been honored to have been a management consultant for the City of Chicago for the past two years and to be part of my friend Lori’s team. I am very proud of my work for the Lightfoot administration and all that we have achieved.
“A lot of attention has been drawn recently to the 2019 raid on Anjanette Young’s house. Monday was the first involvement I had in the Anjanette Young case in relation to the video footage received from the police. It is clear that the raid on Anjanette Young’s house was a tragedy from which we must learn.
“Standing up for racial injustice and fighting for equality in our judicial system are crucial things that we must continue to work towards as a community.”
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern that she “sought and received” Flessner’s resignation and that she met the lawyer at his home in the Ukrainian village.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Flessner said he had resigned because of the “firestorm” related to the release of the tape of a robbery at Young’s home.
“I’m resigning all around the tape because of the firestorm,” he told the Tribune. “I am accused of trying to hide it, which is not true.”
The raid, which took place in February 2019, became known in the last few days following the release of a video showing a handcuffed Young standing naked in her home for a few minutes. Young can be heard in the video telling officers they are in the wrong home and she and her lawyer confirm that their home was not the target of the search warrant.
The video of the incident was later recorded by Young as part of a lawsuit against the city, and by several Chicago news outlets, including NBC 5.
Flessner has often been the subject of controversy in the city, including in December 2019 when he admitted taking property tax exemptions for two different properties, with state law allowing exemptions only for one such property.
A report from NBC 5 Investigates found that Flessner’s primary residence was a South Loop condominium, but he also received a tax break for a Naperville residence.
Flessner admitted the mistake and said he would repay approximately $ 2,500 to the state of Illinois.
Flessner has also come under scrutiny after being criticized for getting a pass to use a private road, nicknamed “The Bat Cave,” which connects downtown Chicago to McCormick Place, a street mainly from City officials to avoid traffic jams is used.