CHICAGO — A Cook County jury has awarded over $1.4 million in damages to former aldermanic candidate Ebony Lucas, ruling that current 4th Ward Ald. Lamont Robinson and his campaign defamed her during the 2023 city election with misleading mailers and text messages.
Lawsuit Stemmed From Allegedly False Campaign Material
Lucas, a South Side attorney and real estate professional, was actively campaigning when she began receiving calls about a negative ad campaign circulated by the 4th Ward Democratic Organization.
According to CBS News Chicago, one mailer labeled her a “bad landlord” and showed an image of a rat. Simultaneously, text messages were sent to voters questioning her trustworthiness and highlighting unpaid bills.
“The biggest thing is I was hurt,” Lucas said. “The things they were saying were horrible — and they weren’t true!”
Tax Lien Claim Found to Be Misleading
One of the central allegations in the attack ads was a $18,139 IRS tax lien. But Lucas provided records showing that the lien had been released nearly two years before the election.
She criticized the campaign for misusing citations in the mailers, suggesting the sources gave the impression of factual accuracy without actually backing the claims.
“If you looked at the citations, the citations didn’t say what they said,” Lucas told CBS reporters.
Jury Awards Lucas $1.475 Million
The jury sided with Lucas and awarded her a total of $1.475 million, citing the damage done to her reputation and community standing.
“You sent out false information about me to 33,000 people — and that’s a lot of people,” she said. “And now, I still have a business to run, a community to live in.”
Robinson’s Team Plans to Appeal the Verdict
In a formal statement, Ald. Robinson dismissed the lawsuit as “politically motivated” and pledged to appeal the decision.
“Residents of the 4th Ward voted for me because they knew I would fight for them… My priority is addressing the real challenges we face, not engaging in political theater,” Robinson said in a statement shared by CBS Chicago.
The Lamont Robinson for Alderman Committee and 4th Ward Democratic Organization echoed his stance:
“We relied in good faith on information provided by researchers and published by credible media outlets — none of which were sued. We believe the jury’s verdict is a misapplication of defamation law and will be overturned on appeal.”
Lucas Says She’s Done With Campaigning
Despite the court victory, Lucas confirmed she won’t be running for office again and does not plan to use the awarded money for political purposes.
“I’m done running for election,” she told reporters. “This was about clearing my name.”
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