Lori Lightfoot, who served as Mayor of Chicago from 2019 – 2023, is being sued by J.P. Morgan Chase over “an unpaid MileagePlus United credit card balance of $11,078.01.” Her honor hasn’t made a payment to the card since August 2024. She’s been a cardholder for 20 years.
She has not made a payment since August 2024, 17 months ago. She has had the credit card since 2005. pic.twitter.com/DVIj8lpitM
— Frank Calabrese (@FrankCalabrese) January 13, 2026
Lightfoot, who failed to win re-election, has been working for consulting firm Charles River Associates and has had roles at the University of Michigan, Harvard, and the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. She was served with this lawsuit at her home in October.
She’s hardly alone among celebrities failing to pay her credit card and getting sued. American Express filed suit against Bhad Bhabie this past summer over $674,452. They sued Armie Hammer in 2022, Lil Wayne in 2016, and they sued Ray J this year also. Tori Spelling was sued by American Express multiple times.
The former Chicago Mayor is noteworthy because she was equally irresponsible managing the public purse as her own. And she wasn’t even a good politician for instance the best she could do explaining getting a haircut during the Covid stay-at-home order was to say that she’s the “public face of the city” so it was necessary, “haircut hypocrisy.” She was also known for restricting interviews to “Black and Brown” journalists.
With American Airlines re-building their presence at O’Hare, and AAdvantage a generally better program than MileagePlus, she chose the wrong bank and card to pull a bust-out scheme with.
To be clear, though, being bad with credit cards isn’t a partisan issue. I wrote former Republican Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker paying 27% interest on his credit cards rather than paying them off.
I’m here for the Lori Lightfoot apologists
Honestly, everyone’s personal debt is their own business, who knows what kind of financial situation they are in?…amd the fact is, is that the credit card companies took a calculated risk advancing the credit to them, in other words it’s a business decision which they understand they can win or lose at…however that doesn’t absolve the card holders from paying back the debt when they are able
You had to bring up a completely unrelated issue regarding Gov Walker from Wisconsin in some crazy attempt to show balance? Makes you seem silly.
Was Scott Walker in default or just paying interest? Those are very different situations.
Maybe add a line that she wasn’t able to accumulate the miles on the unpaid debt so we can tie this into “travel”. As it stands, this belongs in a rag near the cashier at my supermarket.
Not related to travel. Sorry. Politicians stiff people all the time, and not just taxpayers.
Usually, being a former big-city mayor can lead to a pretty good post-mayoral income. She didn’t seem to leave with much appeal to employers.
@ This comes to mind — Did you actually read the post?
While AAdvantage may be a better awards progarm (says you), United happens to be a beater Arline.
She’s hardly alone among celebrities failing to pay her credit card and getting sued. Bhad Bhabie, Armie Hammer, Lil Wayne, Ray J, Tori Spelling.
Um..Who? These are celebrities?
About as shocking as thunderstorms in Miami during the summer time. Yet she was brought in to investigate the corruption and theft by that other moron mayor, Tiffany Henyard which remains free. And we know why.
Not surprised at all. Shame on the people of Chicago for voting for this moron. Oh and her replacement is just as bad or even worse.
A quick re-cap:
Disputed $11,078.01 debt…
*BLACK-WOMAN-MAYOR-CHICAGO-DEMOCRAT*
View from the (Right) Wing: “Burn the witch!!!”
@Thing 1 — Are you not entertained?
Beetlejuice to call JPMorgan Chase racist in 3, 2, 1. LMFAO
Chicago Voters: Let’s elect a terrible mayor based on a bunch of social justice checkboxes and not her experience or platform.
Chicago Voters: God she’s terrible.
Chicago Voters: Let’s elect someone worse!
GARY, WHAT SORT OF PERSONAL HISTORY DO YOU HAVE WITH LIGHTFOOT? YOUR “JOURNALISM” HERE JUST DRIPS WITH MALICE, AND THAT’S NOT A GOOD LOOK FOR THE INTEGRITY OF THIS WEBSITE. AND JUST HOW IS THIS “NEWS” STORY GERMANE FOR THE FLYING PUBLIC?
YOU GOT THIS OFF YOUR CHEST. I HOPE YOU FEEL MUCH BETTER NOW.
@Coffee Please — You gotta say it three-times…
@Dave — And, which ‘lovely’ city are you from?
@Derek McGillicuddy — GARY IS A ‘THOT’ LEADER, NOT A JOURNALIST. HE HAS REPEATEDLY STATED THAT HE STARTED VFTW AS A “LARK.” THINK OF THE SITE AS A POINTS-AND-MILES VERSION OF THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.
I guess it’s not only white, women, lesbian, Illinois, democrats who think borrowing rules and laws are something they are above too now. American Air equality has fully been achieved.
Lightfoot is unreliably irresponsible and not deserving of a United Air credit card if she will not make payments. Maybe Delta Air will want demographic profile biz. Yeah you cannot make this stuff up when Truth is revealed.
Considering that United Airlines is headquartered in Chicago, I’m not surprised that Lori Lightfoot would choose to use their credit card. American Airlines may be rebuilding its presence at O’Hare, but it’s still a smaller presence than United’s, not to mention the fact that AA is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas rather than Chicago.
Lightfoot was a poor mayor and lost. The present mayor is a terrible mayor and has lost control of the city council on the budget. This is not racist: Neither could carry Harold Washington’s briefcase.
I voted for & campaigned for reform candidates in Chicago for over 40 years. Doesn’t seem to have helped.
@jack the ladd — We should know after late-March 2026 who’s running (for mayor in 2027). Johnson will likely run for re-election. Would Giannoulias be too progressive for you? Or, do you need a ‘fiscal hawk’ like Pappas? Be real, Vallas won’t win. Lotta Greek-sounding names in Chicago!
Would Giannoulias be too progressive for you? Or, do you need a ‘fiscal hawk’ like Pappas? Be real,
I live in Chicagoland. She was absolutely godawful incompetent. Enormous joke.
With all her income and whatever she has stolen, it is incomprehensible that she cannot come up with $11k.
And the current guy is worse.
Personal debt is clearly not a purely “personal” thing. How a person handles debt is a measure of character, responsibility and trustworthiness. Virtually every case of embezzlement, espionage, and treason is preceded by indebtedness and other signs of personal irresponsibility.
@1990. Nope! I’m sufficiently entertained.
Has she considered opening a day care center to pay her bills?
Reading the Lightfoot defenders is cracking me up. How much of a committed Leftist do you have to be to excuse this?
honestly, not sure how this diatribe belongs here, but as previously mentioned everything is not what it seems, who cares anyway as long as Da Bears win
@Gene “@ This comes to mind — Did you actually read the post?” Yes, every word and what do you think I missed? This? ” [she] has been working for consulting firm Charles River Associates and has had roles at the University of Michigan, Harvard, and the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics.” Having “roles” doesn’t guarantee great pay or any pay. What is her job at CRA? FT employee? Consultant? She could not be paying because 1) she forget, 2) she can but won’t, or 3) she can’t. I went with door 3.
What does this have anything to do with aviaton ?
@Kevin Rivera – rewards credit card, united airlines