On the eve of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s announcement for Chicago mayor, she announced more details on why her chief of staff, John Keller, resigned.
Tuesday night Preckwinkle issued a short statement saying Keller resigned for personal reasons. When county employees arrived at work Wednesday, some were told Keller was leaving to work on Preckwinkle’s campaign.
Adding to the mystery, no one from Preckwinkle’s county board office or her campaign team would take any questions all day. Then, at 5 p.m., a new statement was issued offering more details.
That was after labor leaders gathered Wednesday afternoon to discuss the upcoming mayor’s race, but no endorsement for one candidate was given.
On Friday Preckwinkle “became aware of an allegation” that Keller “had engaged in inappropriate behavior on his personal time."
"I confronted Mr Keller, he did not deny the allegation," the statement reads. "Yesterday, I demanded and received his immediate resignation."
Critics are also questioning why it took from Friday to Tuesday to demand his resignation. Preckwinkle’s staff tells NBC 5 “she took immediate action; she has a zero tolerance policy.”
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One woman complained on Facebook about Keller’s behavior Wednesday night.
Keller is Preckwinkle’s sixth chief of staff.
