The consultant being sued by former Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas said he will fight the “shameful” lawsuit, calling it “unfounded” and “absolutely unfair.”
The Democrat’s campaign filed a lawsuit against Chimaobi Enyia last week. It alleged that Enyia defrauded his campaign out of $700,000 meant for get-out-the-vote efforts, including posting pro-Vallas signage and removing anti-Vallas signage in black communities.
PAUL VALLAS SUING CONSULTANT FOR DEFRAUDING $700,000 INTENDED FOR CHICAGO CAMPAIGN SERVICES
The lawsuit states Enyia cannot account for $680,000 that he received in a series of payments, and Vallas’s campaign is now seeking to receive all the money back. Enyia said he plans to “vigorously defend” himself against the claims.
“I have known Paul Vallas for years. I regarded him as a trusted friend. He trusted me,” Enyia said in a news release from his attorney, James Dahl, via the Chicago Tribune.
“Now after I have provided my help, Vallas wants to claw back my compensation. That is absolutely unfair,” he said.
Vallas claims Enyia, who was a staffer for former Gov. Pat Quinn and is the current vice president of a local cannabis company, used the runoff election between Vallas and now-Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson to squeeze hundreds of thousands of dollars from Vallas’s campaign.
Enyia allegedly threatened that his workers would go to the “other side,” referring to the Johnson campaign, if they did not receive payment “immediately.”
Vallas allegedly did not know of the arrangement between Enyia and campaign manager Brian Towne, which saw Enyia become a strategist for the campaign in March and April.
Vallas reviewed the finances himself after Election Day and spotted a $200,000 payment approving Enyia’s company, Ikoro LLC, to place signage in black communities — something Vallas says he was unaware of, according to the lawsuit.
Enyia said in his statement that his consulting work included “policy development, professional networks, personal relationships and field support” and that he deserved payment for services rendered.
“Vallas asked me for my help, I provided my help, I billed for my help, the bills for my help were approved, and I have been paid for my help,” Enyia said. “I fulfilled completely my obligations to the campaign.”
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Dahl said Enyia will “defend the Vallas claims in court and not in the press.” Enyia added that if Vallas repeats “any of the accusations which he has alleged in his lawsuit outside of the courthouse … then I can and will sue him for defamation.”
“In the end, the voters were right,” Enyia said. “Paul Vallas did not deserve to be the mayor of the City of Chicago.”
