After former President Donald Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury on Thursday, reaction poured in from around the political world, including in Chicago as the city’s two mayoral candidates faced off in another contentious forum.
Also discussed during the forum were tickets that Brandon Johnson would need to pay off if he were elected to office, and contributions made by a political action committee led by Trump’s former education secretary to an indpendent group that has backed Vallas.
Trump was indicted by a grand jury over alleged hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, and is expected to be arraigned next week after turning himself in to authorities.
Both Johnson and Vallas were sharply critical of the former president’s conduct, saying that Thursday’s indictment is a step in the right direction.
"Justice must be served," Johnson said.
“Donald Trump repeatedly and shamelessly violated the rules and norms that govern the office of the president, cheapening the most widely respected elected position in the world and demeaning our democracy,” Vallas said. “He must be held accountable and I’m grateful the first step toward justice has been taken.”
Numerous Republicans, including Trump himself, criticized the indictment as politically-motivated.
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In the Chicago mayoral race, attention was turned toward several new controversies, including reports indicating that Johnson owed more than $3,000 in unpaid water and sewer bills, on which he has accrued more than $6,000 in fines.
He also has more than $1,000 in unpaid traffic tickets, with those payments needing to be made prior to assuming political office.
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His campaign said that he is “on a previously-established payment plan,” and that the matter will be resolved before Inauguration Day should he be elected.
Vallas also faced questions at the forum over contributions from a PAC tied to DeVos, who gained liberal scorn for her support of private and charter schools during her time in Washington. The PAC made donations to an independent group that has backed Vallas for mayor, but that is not affiliated with the campaign.
“We’re talking about an individual who does not believe in public education,” Johnson said. “She has spent millions of dollars privatizing school districts across the country.”
Vallas says he’s never had contact with the former education secretary.
“I’ve never had any conversations with Betsy DeVos, and our campaign has not received any money from her,” he said.
The candidates will continue on the campaign trail this weekend, with the election looming on Tuesday.
