Calumet City aldermen dismiss Mayor Thaddeus Jones’ case against Clerk Nyota Figgs

The latest salvo in an ongoing feud between Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones and Clerk Nyota Figgs was delivered Wednesday night as a lawsuit involving both parties was dismissed by members of the City Council during a special meeting held outdoors on the steps of City Hall.

Ald. James Patton, 6th Ward, said he called the special meeting after repeated failures to place a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on regular city meeting agendas. He said the mayor took control of the agenda from the clerk and is preventing council action on the lawsuit, which claims Figgs unlawfully destroyed city records.

“I think the lawsuit is nonsense,” Patton, who is running against Jones for mayor in 2025, said Thursday.

He added he believes the allegations were based on false information collected by city auditor Alyssia Benford. Benford recently challenged Figgs’ reelection as city clerk based on her city of residency, while Figgs is objecting to Jones’ candidacy based on his residency and that he holds two government offices. Both challenges are up for consideration Friday by the city’s electoral board.

Jones sent a notice to aldermen Wednesday afternoon canceling the special meeting and all other business scheduled that day at City Hall “due to an emergency pest control and water piping issues” within the building, according to the obtained email.

Patton said he expected Jones to interfere with the meeting due to his personal interest in the lawsuit, and reported staff changing locks to City Hall entrances and barricading the building shortly before the scheduled meeting. He said he notified the mayor’s office in advance that the council would hold the meeting outdoors without the mayor presiding if he refused to cooperate.

Jones said in a statement that aldermen could have rescheduled the special meeting and that the council acted without proper authority. He cited an ordinance that only the mayor can direct the city’s litigation.

“This is a political ploy by a failed candidate and a city clerk who destroyed city records,” Jones said.

An attorney representing the city in the lawsuit, Keri-Lyn Krafthefer, of the firm Ancel Glink, said Thursday she was awaiting direction from the mayor on whether to drop the lawsuit. She also said Jones is the only person with authority on Calumet City legal matters.

The case stalled Monday after Judge Alison Conlon recused herself after disclosing she may have distributed literature for Jones when he was running as a state representative in 2016.

Calumet City Ald. James Patton, right, talks with City Clerk Nyota Figgs in March after announcing his run for mayor. Figgs, like Patton, has been at odds with Mayor Thaddeus Jones. (Vincent D. Johnson/Daily Southtown)

The civil complaint alleges that soon after Jones was elected as mayor in 2021, Figgs “surreptitiously and without approval” shredded two truckloads of city documents and later admitted to doing so.

However, Figgs’ attorney, Jim Kelly, said Figgs had proper approval to dispose of the documents and the lawsuit solely represents Jones’ “political vendetta” against her. He added that Jones sued Figgs on behalf of the city without council approval, which is crucial despite the mayor’s position as the lead decision maker in the city’s legal matters.

Patton said if Jones’ attorneys move forward with the lawsuit he will call for another special meeting to motion to dismiss the attorneys. The lawsuit’s dismissal was approved during the special meeting from all those who attended, including Alds. Patton, Monet Wilson, Michael Navarette, DeJuan Gardner and DeAndre Tillman.

“This is very in character for (Jones),” Patton said about efforts taken to block the council’s dismissal of the lawsuit. “He’s trying to rule the city like a dictator. I think it’s very telling that one of the aldermen running on his slate, (Tillman), showed up and voted with us last night.”

ostevens@chicagotribune.com

Related posts