Fairmont Chicago Hotel on August 21, 2024 (WLS/YouTube).
Chicago police and the FBI are investigating how several suspected perpetrators managed to break into a hotel in the Windy City on Wednesday that was hosting delegates to the Democratic National Convention and place maggots on the breakfast tables.
An Indiana delegate and retired senator who was staying at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago at the time of the incident told USA Today that she had “come down to breakfast” when she saw “there were these two women hiding in the bathroom.”
“And they ran and threw maggots into the breakfast buffet,” Karen Tallian said.
Chicago ABC affiliate WLS reported the disturbance at the hotel and confirmed to the Fairmont Chicago Hotel that an investigation was underway.
The Democratic National Convention Joint Information Center released a statement on Wednesday saying, “Multiple unknown female perpetrators are alleged to have entered a building in the 200 block of N Columbus Drive at approximately 5:45 a.m. on August 21, 2024 and began placing unknown items on tables containing food.”
“The perpetrators then probably left the area,” the statement continued. “One victim was treated on site and released.”
The DNC statement added that the FBI’s Chicago office was assisting Chicago police in the investigation.
A witness told USA Today that he saw crickets on the table, so it’s unclear if it was just crickets or maggots or a combination of both.
It is unclear whether anyone ate food contaminated with the germs, but Chicago police told WLS that one person was treated at the scene and subsequently released.
Indiana delegate Bryan Lilienkamp told ABC that hotel staff cleared breakfast tables and then brought out new food.
“We can confirm that a group of individuals caused disruption at a DNC-related breakfast event at our hotel this morning. We are grateful for the quick response from police. The safety and well-being of our guests and employees is our top priority,” a Fairmont Chicago spokesperson said.
A request to the FBI for an update on the investigation was not immediately answered by Law&Crime on Thursday.
No arrests have been made so far.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Hayley Robles, spokeswoman for the Fairmont Chicago Hotel, said the entire breakfast area had also been disinfected.
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