The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has initiated an investigation into the removal of Enes Kanter Freedom from a Chicago Sky game and subsequent ban from the Wintrust Arena. AFPI filed a detailed public-records request on Friday with the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), which owns the arena, under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
According to Leigh Ann O’Neill, AFPI’s chief legal affairs officer, Freedom was exercising his constitutional rights as an American during his attendance at the WNBA game in Chicago. The investigation aims to obtain essential documents to ensure accountability of public entities when constitutional rights are potentially infringed.
“Enes Freedom exercised his constitutional right as an American when he attended the WNBA game in Chicago,” said O’Neill in a statement.
During the game, Enes Kanter Freedom, former basketball player, was involved in a verbal altercation with Natasha Cloud, a guard for the Chicago Sky. Following this exchange, security escorted Freedom out of the arena after a brief step toward the court.
AFPI’s records request seeks clarity on who manages access, security, and event operations at the publicly owned Wintrust Arena. The request includes agreements between MPEA, arena operator Oak View Group, the Chicago Sky, and the WNBA, alongside security policies and law enforcement arrangements. It also seeks records on who authorized Freedom’s removal and ban, and documents related to federal funding received by the arena.
MPEA, characterized as a municipal corporation formed by the Illinois General Assembly, has its board appointed by Illinois’ governor and Chicago’s mayor. It owns the Wintrust Arena, a 10,000-seat facility operated through a partnership with DePaul University.
The investigation’s records request does not directly assert that Freedom’s constitutional rights were violated. Instead, AFPI aims to ascertain whether the actions of the Sky or arena staff can be associated with a public entity.
Enes Kanter Freedom has also sent a letter to the WNBA requesting a review of the incident and a refund for his ticket. AFPI has requested MPEA to preserve emails, text messages, and communications potentially related to the incident while producing records progressively. Currently, no lawsuit has been filed.
OutKick has contacted MPEA and the Sky for comments. Jackson Thompson, a sports reporter for Fox News Digital, focuses on political and cultural issues in sports, including investigations that have been referenced in actions by federal authorities.