Alderman apologizes for foul language, name-calling in texts, colleagues say
A Northwest Side alderman has apologized for texts he apparently sent that referred to one City Council colleague as “a bitch” and the top aide of another council member as “his bitch,” according to two other aldermen who said they received calls from him.
Texts attributed to Ald. Jim Gardiner were initially published in tweets by The People’s Fabric, an anonymous Northwest Side group that has been a prominent critic of the 45th Ward alderman since his 2019 election. The Tribune has not independently verified the authenticity of the texts.
Gardiner has not responded to requests for comment.
But two City Council members referenced in the published tweets said Gardiner called them to say he was sorry.
The texts refer to Wrigleyville Ald. Tom Tunney as “a bitch” during a discussion about Tunney turning up for a meeting.
Tunney confirmed that after the texts were published Thursday, Gardiner reached out to him. “He called, he apologized, and I respect him for that,” Tunney said.
In a separate text chain about 32nd Ward Ald. Scott Waguespack, the sender asks whether Waguespack’s “bitch is with him? White girl w blonde dirty hair?” That’s an apparent reference to Waguespack chief of staff Anne Emerson.
After Waguespack called on Gardiner to apologize in an angry Thursday tweet, Waguespack said Gardiner did reach out Friday to say he’s sorry for the language he used.
Emerson said Gardiner texted her Friday morning, but they hadn’t spoken.
Emerson said it’s “really gross and disappointing that an elected community leader thinks it’s appropriate to disparage women like that in private. I sincerely hope he sees this as a chance to learn and do better.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office said the mayor reached out to Gardiner to “express her concern” about the texts.
“While the alderman did not acknowledge that he wrote these texts, the mayor urged him to apologize to those involved as soon as possible,” the mayor’s office said in a statement. “The words attributed to him are personally offensive to the mayor and any woman who reads them.”