NEAR WEST SIDE— A video in the official 27th Ward e-mail newsletter sent to constituents might have raised eyebrows when it hit residents' inboxes last week.
In between job postings and other announcements, the newsletter promoted a video interview featuring conservative talk show host Dan Proft and Maze Jackson, political editor at the Chicago Defender. In the video, Jackson said the Laquan McDonald shooting resulted in a cover up involving Mayor Rahm Emanuel,which he calls "Chicago's own version of Watergate."
Ald. Walter Burnett Jr., a lifelong Democrat and one of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's top allies, promoting a conservative talk show host in a video that questions Rahm? Does that strike you as strange?
Well here's exactly what happened, according to Burnett himself.
A 27th Ward staffer working for Burnett sent the e-mail to constituents last week promoting the Proft video without the alderman's permission, he confirmed Friday.
"I let her know she made a mistake," he said, declining to name the staffer.
The video was featured in Thursday's e-mail newsletter to 27th Ward residents alongside job postings, park updates and information on the city's police accountability task force. The video was linked with a post that read: "Click the image above to watch Maze Jackson, Commentary on WVON 1690 as a guest on Against the Current with Dan Proft."
Burnett said he receives his own ward e-mails and was surprised to see the video. The staffer aimed to highlight Jackson, who Burnett knows well.
"I looked at it, and saw [Jackson] was sharing opinions about the Mayor, Madigan, protests, racism," he said. "I'm pro-justice, but I'm not as controversial as what Maze might be, because that's his hook. Maze is very articulate and very smart, but that don't mean I agree with what he says."
The next day, Burnett e-mailed constituents again, explaining that the newsletter video was not authorized by him and that "he does not share any opinions or views of the guest and/or host of that show."
"The reason I responded to it, for one, is my staff person who put it in there didn't ask me to put it in there. And I can't have that happen," Burnett told DNAinfo Chicago Friday. "I need to sanction everything."
The second-day message was also meant to set the record straight with his political allies.
"I don't want Madigan or the Mayor to think I'm part of that opinion," he said.
The newsletter "is about what I do, the community, and opportunities in the community," Burnett said. "Whether I agree with it or not, it's not a opinion or gossip site. We're not going to do that and we're not going to start doing it."
Burnett reaches about 15,000 constituents through his social media channels and e-mail newsletter, he said.
Chicago's own 'Watergate'
In the video, Jackson said he believes that there are "a lot of cover-ups" surrounding the Laquan McDonald case, specifically calling out Emanuel and Ald. Ed Burke (14th), among others.
"It is a cover up and I do believe that it ultimately is going to be Chicago's own version of Watergate," he said. Jackson, a WVON political commentator, goes on to say that he is contemplating running for mayor in 2019.
Burnett said Friday that he doesn't support "any of those philosophies" regarding the Laquan McDonald case.
"I support the mayor. I try to tell the truth and try to respect everyone," the veteran alderman said.
Does the alderman believe Emanuel or other top city leaders were involved in any cover up after a Chicago Police officer shot and killed the 17-year-old McDonald?
"I don't know. I think if it is a cover-up, I think that the Justice Department would find out. I'm sure if something did happen, and I hope it did not happen, but if it did,then it will come out," Burnett said. "The chips will fall where they may."
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