JPMorgan Chase Bank has filed a lawsuit against former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot seeking repayment of an unpaid credit card balance totaling approximately $11,000, according to reporting by the Chicago Tribune. Bank records cited in the filing show the balance went unpaid for roughly 17 months before the account was charged off in March. The suit marks a rare public dispute between a major financial institution and a former big-city mayor over personal debt obligations.
Court documents indicate Lightfoot was served with a subpoena at her Chicago residence, which the Tribune reports is valued at about $900,000. Chase records show Lightfoot has held the credit card account since 2005. The bank’s filing states that her most recent payment on the account was $5,000, made on August 7, 2024, and that no further payments were received before the bank classified the remaining balance as uncollectible and initiated legal action.
The lawsuit comes after Lightfoot left office following her unsuccessful bid for reelection, making her the first Democratic mayor of Chicago in roughly four decades to fail to secure a second term. Financial disclosures cited by the Tribune show Lightfoot reported $402,414 in adjusted gross income in 2021. Records also indicate she withdrew approximately $210,000 in early distributions from a retirement account and earned $216,000 annually during each of her four years as mayor.
The personal debt case has drawn attention in part because it follows ongoing scrutiny of Chicago’s broader fiscal condition during Lightfoot’s tenure. As she prepared to leave office in 2024, city financial statements reflected an estimated $85 million budget shortfall. While the lawsuit concerns a private credit card account rather than public funds, it highlights how financial obligations—whether personal or governmental—can result in legal action when payments lapse over extended periods.
Chase’s decision to pursue the matter in court reflects standard banking practices once an account has remained delinquent beyond internal recovery timelines. The bank’s filing does not allege criminal conduct, focusing instead on repayment of the outstanding balance. Lightfoot is scheduled to appear in court later this year as the case proceeds.
