Mayor Lori Lightfoot has fired her cannabis coordinator, though city officials declined to say why.
Lightfoot ousted policy adviser Paul Stewart earlier this week.
“Mr. Stewart is no longer an employee at the Mayor’s Office,” spokesman Pat Mullane said in a statement. “As this is a personnel matter, we will not be commenting any further.”
In a brief interview, Stewart declined to say why he was let go but said Lightfoot has “the right to move in whatever direction she wants to.”
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“I don’t want to get into all that, my personal discussions with the mayor. I’m not upset,” Stewart said. “I respect the mayor’s decision and keep moving. I’ve had a lot going on this year with cannabis initially and COVID hitting.”
The sudden, unexplained firing raised eyebrows in City Hall as Stewart was well-liked by many colleagues.
Stewart was a key adviser on marijuana issues. He previously worked in the Police Department on projects related to the consent decree.
Twitter @royalpratt
