Reporter Suing Lori Lightfoot Over Pulled-Credentials Accuses Mayor of ‘Malicious Censorship’: She’s ‘Coming for the Entire Chicago Press Corps’

Newsmax reporter William Kelly joined a chorus of Chicago media voices expressing opposition to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s (D) initiative to switch over from traditional police scanners to encrypted radios.

The Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune were among the outlets to sign a letter calling out Lightfoot’s move, arguing it could prevent essential crime reporting and put lives in danger. The city, in turn, has defended the transition, claiming it provides “added protection” to victims and “enhances” officer safety by making the lines cut off from the public.

Kelly is no stranger to criticizing Lightfoot, having previously filed suit against the mayor after she had his press credentials revoked.

According to the reporter’s lawsuit, Kelly claimed Lightfoot instructed the Chicago Police Department superintendent to have an officer on Lightfoot’s security “fabricate a report that Kelly had bumped into him on July 19, 2022.”

The two clashed numerous times before this on crime in the city, including in May when she told Kelly he was “full of crap.”

Appearing on Fox & Friends on Wednesday with co-host Steve Doocy, Kelly called Lightfoot’s encrypted radio plan “malicious censorship.”

“This is not only censorship, Steve, this is malicious censorship,” he said after Doocy noted that many in the press rely on police scanners to get out information on emergencies, especially local reporters.

Kelly accused Lightfoot of targeting the “entire Chicago press corps” after successfully having his credentials removed.

“First they came for reporter William J. Kelly, now Lightfoot is coming for the entire Chicago press corps,” he said.

The reporter argued the move is a “real danger” to Chicago residents who he claimed already have to act like their own first responders.

“The citizens of Chicago are officially their own first responders now, Steve, and they need these police scanners in order to know, is there a violent, repeat offender out on parole standing in front of their front door with a knife or a gun or something else,” Kelly said.

Crime in Chicago is a regular topic for headlines in papers like the Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago Police announced last month that this year’s homicide rate is below the previous two years, but it’s still standing at approximately 600 for the year.

Doocy at one point expressed concern over the city itself having more exclusive access to crime statistics thanks to encrypted radios keeping the press out of the leap. Protesting outlets already noted in their letter about the radios that dangerous incidents are already not being covered, including a shooter outside a courthouse in the city who shot off dozens of rounds, but escaped with almost no coverage of the incident.

Headlines on Chicago crime, Doocy said, “make Chicago look terrible,” but now citizens may have to completely rely on City Hall to be informed on crime in the city.

In a previous statement to Fox News Digital, Lightfoot’s office stood by the transition and claimed it would actually make police and victims safer, as opposed to endangering the public by closing off information.

“Having encrypted radios will provide added protection for communities and the personal information of victims, suspects, witnesses, and juveniles,” the city claimed in a statement. “It also will enhance officer safety and prevent suspects from gaining a tactical advantage by listening to live incidents and investigations.”

Watch above via Fox News