Blame the Chicago Police Shooting Cover-Up on One-Party Rule

[Valin]

National Review:

Jonah Goldberg

December 9, 2015

 

For a moment at least, the biggest political beneficiary of the shootings in San Bernardino wasn’t a presidential candidate or terrorist group. It was Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel. The killing spree in Southern California distracted the national press at precisely the moment it was about to go into a feeding frenzy over a scandal consuming his mayoralty.

 

If such political scorekeeping seems gauche, it’s a fitting tribute to Emanuel, who may have participated in a political cover-up.

 

(Snip)

 

The homicide occurred in October 2014. Emanuel was facing a tough primary fight in a city where the Democratic primary is the only election that matters. The furor over the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Mo. — which birthed the Black Lives Matter movement — was in full steam thanks to widespread coverage of the grand jury looking into the case. If the McDonald video had come out before the primary or the subsequent runoff, Emanuel would have been toast.

 

Thanks to stonewalling by the Emanuel administration and his handpicked chief of police, the video didn’t surface for more than a year. The video might not have surfaced at all if it hadn’t been for a court-ordered release at the request of a very persistent journalist. And murder charges came only after it became clear the journalist would get his way.

 

There is more evidence of a cover-up. Remember that five police officers reported events contradicted by the video. Presumably relevant security footage from a nearby Burger King was allegedly erased by police. The McDonald family was given a $5 million settlement. At a press conference Monday, Emanuel said he “welcomes” a federal investigation of the killing — but what else could he have said?

 

(Snip)

[Valin]

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