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Hold Council Hearings on What Rahm Knew and When in Laquan Case: Aldermen

By Ted Cox | December 7, 2015 12:27pm
 Backed by Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Ald. David Moore insisted
Backed by Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Ald. David Moore insisted "this is not about playing 'gotcha' with the administration."
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DNAinfo/Ted Cox

CITY HALL — Two first-year aldermen called Monday for City Council hearings into the Emanuel administration and "what they knew and when" in the Laquan McDonald case.

Aldermen David Moore (17th) and Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) demanded an expanded federal investigation into the case that would include a probe of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Yet they also want a "full investigative subject-matter hearing" in the City Council, on the order of a congressional fact-finding hearing.

"At the end of the day, the buck stops at the mayor's administration," said Ramirez-Rosa.

"This is not about playing 'gotcha' with the administration," Moore said. Such an investigation would give the mayor the opportunity to address and explain the delayed release of the dashcam video of the McDonald shooting, which Moore described as "a child was executed."

 Ald. Carrie Austin said the aldermen were
Ald. Carrie Austin said the aldermen were "talking out of turn."
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DNAinfo/Ted Cox

INTERACTIVE: How Chicago's Aldermen Have Reacted to the Release of the Laquan Video

Yet Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) accused them of "talking out of turn" and said she still supports the mayor "100 percent." Austin added that she doesn't see the need for additional investigations beyond the ongoing federal and local cases, as well as the joint Public Safety and Human Relations Committee hearing set for next week.

Moore, however, said that hearing would focus primarily on the Police Department and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, and he called for both an additional City Council hearing and an expanded federal Department of Justice investigation into the administration and its role in the delayed video release and the 13-month process in charging officer Jason Van Dyke with murder in the shooting.

Moore said he expected the hearing would also look into charges from other aldermen that they were "misled" by Corporation Counsel Steve Patton in the $5 million settlement approved for the McDonald family.

"Our reputations have been compromised," Moore said.

Moore and Ramirez-Rosa were elected earlier this year, while Austin is one of the more senior members of the City Council and is chairman of the Budget Committee.

Moore and Ramirez-Rosa claimed the backing of Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) and said they'd be submitting a resolution at Wednesday's City Council meeting calling for the hearing before the Rules Committee.

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