The Justice Department on Monday notified the city of Chicago that it has launched a civil rights investigation into its hiring practices, after its Democratic mayor highlighted the diversity of its ranks.   

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Sunday delivered remarks at the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn, where he bragged about the racial diversity of his staff and emphasized his plans for education, public safety and equity in the city.

Johnson, who is black, included a roundup of all the prominent black people in his office, including multiple deputy mayors, his chief operations officer, budget director and senior advisor. 

"There are some detractors that will try and push back on me and say, 'The only thing the mayor talks about is the hiring of Black people,'" Johnson said. "No. What I'm saying is, when you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else. We are the most generous people on the planet."

The Justice Department said it was Johnson's remarks about the number of black people in his administration that prompted the investigation. 

"If these kind of hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions in your administration, then it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote in the letter.

The mayor's office has confirmed that it was aware of the investigation in a statement to ABC-7 Chicago, and promised to review Dhillon's letter when it arrives.

"Mayor Johnson is proud to have the most diverse administration in the history of our city," his office said. "Our administration reflects the diversity and values of Chicago. Unfortunately, the current federal administration does not reflect either."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.