Taking us for fools
Wednesday, Jan 6, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday it’s “not possible” that City Hall’s Law Department is part of the cover-up culture he’s acknowledged exists at the Chicago Police Department — a day after a federal judge ruled that a city lawyer intentionally concealed evidence in a trial over a fatal Chicago police shooting.
Emanuel also said it’s not necessary for the U.S. Department of Justice to add the Law Department to its investigation into the Police Department’s use of excessive force. And the mayor gave a vote of confidence to his top attorney, saying Stephen Patton would ensure the city’s legal team is operating “at the highest level that the public should expect.”
The mayor’s defense of Patton, a confidant, comes as a federal judge has cited and rebuked five city attorneys within the last year for withholding evidence in two separate police misconduct cases. In the most recent of those rulings Monday, U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang faulted lax training and oversight at Patton’s department for hampering the production of Police Department records when officers are accused of misconduct. […]
“There is zero tolerance for not only violating the public trust, but your professional standards and there will be no place for that,” Emanuel said. “Once the decision was made, the lawyer and the city parted ways.”
“Zero tolerance”? Then how come Jordan Marsh was on the law department payroll until just the other day? He admitted to the cover-up in September, for crying out loud, and we’ve known about this story for almost a year.
Zero tolerance for what, exactly?
[Fixed some coding problems which deleted some of my words.]
- walker - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:31 am:
Telling the Feds who not to investigate. Oh that’ll work!
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:31 am:
The only path through this for Rahm is to let the Justice Department come in and give CPD and the Law Department a thorough review. Then implement the findings of the forthcoming report.
Sure, some of it will reflect poorly on Emanuel. But it’s all going to come out one way or the other. Everybody knows Rahm didn’t create the culture personally, it existed well before he took office. But now that it’s been exposed, it’s on him to clean it up.
He originally resisted the federal probe of CPD. He ought to welcome this and hide behind the feds for now. Let them do their job without interference and then let the chips fall where they may.
He might not come out of it looking great, but it has to be better than opposing it and leaving this ugly cloud over his entire administration.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:32 am:
Zero tolerance for honest government and the pursuit of justice
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:32 am:
Zero tolerance for the civil rights of African Americans
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:33 am:
Zero tolerance for oversight and accountability
- @MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:33 am:
“the city’s legal team is operating ‘at the highest level that the public should expect.’”
Spoiler: the public shouldn’t expect very much.
– MrJM
- Federalist - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:34 am:
Will the Obama administration take an active role through the DOJ to investigate this and do it in an open and honest manner?
- walker - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:35 am:
Who does he think he is — the President’s Chief of Staff?
- Not Rich - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:36 am:
This Rahm disaster was not figured into the equation by the 2nd floor.. a weak Mayor hurts the Gov’s plans..
- Mama - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:36 am:
“Zero tolerance for what, exactly?”
‘Zero tolerance’ for making Rahm look bad?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:37 am:
He knows how bad this looks. There must be some serious violations of public trust hidden behind those doors.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:39 am:
“Cover-up culture” is the Chicago Way. Has been for decades in politics, business and more.
- Langhorne - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:43 am:
Once might be a mistake, or aberration. But FIVE different lawyers spanked in a year shows what the culture is–rotten.
Maybe he needs to keep patton around, to fall on his sword after more revelations. Did the lawyers help protect that hidden detention/interrogation center?
- Juice - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:43 am:
I would either go with what Mama said or add Zero tolerance for getting caught.
Oh, was that question rhetorical?
- Wensicia - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:47 am:
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.
- Not Rich - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:51 am:
Patton: be gone by march 1
- Blago's Luxurious Grey Mane - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:56 am:
It’s fascinating to watch the sure-footed Rahm flailing away in desperation.
The schadenfreude is being served in heaping helpings these days.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:57 am:
well, he can wish all he wants that the Feds do not investigate, but the IARDC will be investigating those lawyers, so, that involves the Law Department as well. things will come out in that wash.
- SAP - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 12:01 pm:
And you’re going to drop your blaster on the way out.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 12:11 pm:
Emanuel’s words are so far removed from reality as to reveal desperation.
He can’t spin his way out of this one.
Federal judges have accused five city attorneys of withholding evidence in the past year.
There’s not a U.S. attorney that ever lived that would pass on that invitation.
Let’s not forget that Emanuel proposed a $5 million settlement to the McDonald family on the condition that they not discuss the video.
In the Abbate case, he promised to expedite the settlement if the bartender would agree to remove language establishing the city’s Code of Silence (a judge refused to allow it).
Emanuel fought like crazy to keep the McDonald video from ever being released publicly.
He has good reason to be worried now. All those city lawyers lied in federal court on their own accord? I don’t believe it. I have no reason to believe it.
- Slippin' Jimmy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 12:23 pm:
Don’t you love when Rahm is the one doing the dancing?
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 12:32 pm:
–Will the Obama administration take an active role through the DOJ to investigate this and do it in an open and honest manner?–
Is that how you think it should work, a White House should bigfoot a local U.S. attorney investigation?
The last time a White House stuck its nose into the workings of local U.S. attorney’s offices, it ended with the resignations of Attorney General Gonzalez, Karl Rove, Harriet Miers and a slew of other White House hacks before the heat for a special prosecutor looking into allegations of obstruction of justice could be appointed.
I take it you think Obama would go into the tank for Emanuel. Just like Bush II was going to fire Fitz to make Big Bob K and Rezko happy.
You really don’t have a clue as to how politics work. The Boss sticks his neck out for no one.
- One Guy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 12:32 pm:
I highly respect rahmbo as a political operative, but as a mayor, it’s time for him to hit the bricks. Sayonara.
- hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 12:41 pm:
i wonder how many times a week that rahm wishes he stayed in d.c. politics.
- Newsclown - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 12:47 pm:
The system is too compromised to be fixed “in-house”, and nobody in their right mind would give such a “fix” any credibility. The way to rehabilitate the department, and his own reputation, is for Rahm to welcome in the DOJ to come in as an outsider to clean house and not just review but fire and replace all the upper to mid-level management with vetted new people, laying down a new culture of personal accountability. The city should also look at how to make every cop self-insured, with the insurance rate predicated on regular performance and complaint reviews audited by an outside group with no skin in the local game. You rack up a history of mistakes or bad calls on the job, you prove you remediated it or lose the job.
- Keyrock - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 12:47 pm:
Steve Patton has not done a perfect job, and may well take the fall. But he’s been a much better Corp. Counsel than most or all of his predecessors in recent decades.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:00 pm:
New menu item:
Flounder a la Rahm.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:01 pm:
There’s definitely Zero tolerance for something here.
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:02 pm:
==But he’s been a much better Corp. Counsel than most or all of his predecessors in recent decades.==
Maybe so. Maybe Rahm is the best mayor since Harold Washington.
And maybe Emanuel and Patton should both be prosecuted, a statement that does not actually contradict the previous 2.
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:04 pm:
==Telling the Feds who not to investigate. Oh that’ll work!==
A sad little weasel desperately bellowing into the mic, “I Am The Great And Powerful Mayor of Chicago! Pay No Attention To That Man Behind The Curtain!”
- CrookCounty60827 - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:13 pm:
“There’s no corruption in Chicago government”
Signed, Al Capone…I mean Rahm Emmanual.
Does AlRahm actually believe this??
- Streator Curmudgeon - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:19 pm:
Whenever a politician pulls the “righteous indignation” routine, you know there’s a rotten tuna fillet somewhere.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:38 pm:
Do lawyers control the message? That’s their job.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:53 pm:
Not to mention all the times the Law Department has opposed disclosure of records, particularly from IPRA. Has the Law Department abandoned its knee-jerk always oppose stance? Doubt it.
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:25 pm:
Jordan Marsh is a convenient scapegoat. But if anyone believes he did this on his own and the culture of withholding info and covering up began or ended with him, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.
I know Jordan, primarily because he’s a close friend of a friend. He’s always struck me as a stand-up kind of guy. Sadly he’s paying the price for cultural problems going back decades. Anyone remember the Mara Georges days under Rich Daley? Yea, this is just about one guy, right.
- qualified someone nobody sent - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:48 pm:
Look, the Mayor flipped flopped like a fish out of water on the JD investigating the police force. He’ll change his mind again as soon as he’s alerted the JD investigation IS coming to the City law dept.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:08 pm:
sorry friend of Jordan, but each attorney has it within their power to do the right thing. it is completely possible that the culture of the office encourages such actions. it is also possible that the details of the case were not known by superiors and this guy just did the wrong thing. which or whatever, IARDC will be calling.
- scott aster - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:58 pm:
OK Wordlinger you the MAN or ????
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 4:08 pm:
BTW, the ARDC would NOT have jurisdiction to conduct any department wide investigation. Its powers are limited to the license of the individual attorney.
- Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 4:49 pm:
Obama would go into the tank for Emanuel.
I’ve never understood this attitude. They don’t like each other, they’re not friends, the President was his boss. He did a bad job, he was asked to resign. That should have been the end of his political career.
- Unleash The Subpoeanas - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 5:12 pm:
Wordslinger nailed it–he might be the only one who can remember how many federal judges have lashed out at the city legal department in recent months.
From the outside looking in, it sure looks like a systemic issue involving the cops, the city’s legal department and the state’s attorney. Hard to see why the feds wouldn’t probe all three, given what they did in Ferguson, where city government from top to bottom got what it had coming from the DOJ.
- JoanP - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 5:19 pm:
“From the outside looking in, it sure looks like a systemic issue involving the cops, the city’s legal department and the state’s attorney.”
Then there needs to be an investigation in every county in the state, not to mention the U.S. Attorney’s office.
The cynic in me says that the judge’s ruling would have been different if this had been a federal criminal case and the attorney withholding the evidence had been an AUSA. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
- Rod - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 5:40 pm:
I for one would like an investigation of the $5 million settlement deal given to Laquan McDonald’s family. That was a City Corporation Counsel deal too. There is a massive history of problems with that office probably going back to Big Bill Thompson.
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 5:53 pm:
“- Unleash The Subpoeanas - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 5:12 pm:
From the outside looking in, it sure looks like a systemic issue involving the cops, the city’s legal department and the state’s attorney. Hard to see why the feds wouldn’t probe all three, given what they did in Ferguson, where city government from top to bottom got what it had coming from the DOJ.”
Exactly. I’m not excusing Jordan’s conduct in this case (which we really don’t know anyway). I am saying this is far wider and deeper than one lawyer.
- Payback - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:04 pm:
If the Good Old Boys and police union supporters in the state legislature would criminalize destruction of evidence, then local state’s attorneys and the Attorney General’s office could prosecute police criminals.
Why did the much ballyhooed body cam bill passed in May not have criminal penalties for deleting, altering, or “losing” video? Preservation of evidence and compulsory process to produce same for good or ill is a bedrock of the legal process, and the state legislature lets the police unions call the tune to the detriment of constitutional process.