Rahm Must Go!

The Associated Press has released thousands of emails made available to them through a Freedom of Information request that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that dozens of people in Rahm Emanuel’s office along with others in the upper echelons of the Chicago Police Department, deliberately suppressed evidence of the Police murder of Laquan McDonald.

Newly released emails reveal coordination after teen’s death
By MICHAEL TARM, TAMMY WEBBER and SOPHIA TAREEN, Associated Press
Dec. 31, 2015 10:24 PM EST

The messages clearly indicate that advisers to Mayor Rahm Emanuel knew within months that the case could be politically explosive.

Thousands of emails were released in response to open-records requests from The Associated Press and other media regarding 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who was killed in October 2014 after being shot 16 times. Few communications from Emanuel’s staff mention him directly — though several refer to him by the acronym “MRE.”
…
Although none of the correspondence directly addressed Emanuel, in a letter on March 6 — after the family’s lawyers saw the video — attorney Jeffrey J. Neslund told city lawyers that the footage would reflect badly on the city.

“I submit the graphic dash cam video will have a powerful impact on any jury and the Chicago community as a whole,” he wrote. “This case will undoubtedly bring a microscope of national attention to the shooting itself as well as the city’s pattern, practice and procedures in rubber-stamping fatal police shootings of African Americans as ‘justified.'”
…
Months before the video was made public, Emanuel’s administration was well aware of growing outrage about the case. In a late July email exchange, top Emanuel aides worried about the perception of a cover-up and noted recent news stories.

“As you might imagine, the timing and details discussed in the Sun-Times article and growing interest in the McDonald incident has not worked in our favor, and is helping to ‘stir the pot,'” Emanuel aide Vance Henry wrote.
…
The city released the emails less than a week after police fatally shot two other people: 55-year-old Bettie Jones, who authorities said was killed accidentally, and 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier, who police said was being “combative.” Both were black.

Rahm, you’re a racist. Do yourself a favor and crawl back under a rock.

(h/t Atrios)