ROGERS PARK — In the days following the release of a video showing the shooting death of Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer, Ald. Joe Moore (49th) attempted to comfort a media-battered Mayor Rahm Emanuel via email.
The email, which was sent to Emanuel's personal email account on Dec. 4, 2015, was among 3,000 emails released Wednesday by the city as part of a legal settlement between the city, the Better Government Association and the Tribune.
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In the email, Moore tells Emanuel "it's been a rough few days watching the media kick the s--- out of you," and offers to defend the mayor in the press if he could be "brought in early and given the information needed to be an effective defender."
Moore also writes that MSNBC asked him to discuss the city's handling of the Laquan McDonald case, and he "accepted their invitation because I felt they needed at least one talking head that wasn't crapping all over you."
"I never got that chance because about 10 minutes before I was scheduled to go on, I was preempted
by coverage of the San Bernardino mass shooting," Moore wrote to the mayor. "The good news for you is the anti-Rahm feeding frenzy ended, and the cable news outlets moved on to their next obsession."
Moore tells Emanuel he's been "good for the city" and offers to be the mayor's foot soldier down the road.
"Whether it's this issue or the inevitable next crisis, I am more than willing to help," Moore wrote. "But I need to be brought in early and given the information needed to be an effective defender. Let me know how I can help."
Emanuel's response, at least via email, was "Ok thanks."
When asked about the email on Thursday, Moore said wanted to make it clear that he did not think the city was covering up the McDonald shooting by delaying the video's release, and just wanted as much accurate information as possible before discussing the case with the press.
"I agree that the City's refusal to release the video was probably not a good idea in hindsight, but I am confident, based on Steve's [top city lawyer Steve Patton] reputation for integrity, that it was a decision based on principle, not expediency," Moore said Thursday.
Regarding the reference to the terror attack in San Bernardino, Moore said it was "undeniable that it had the effect of distracting the news media from its obsession with the alleged Laquan McDonald cover-up narrative."
Read the email correspondence between Moore and Emanuel here:
Joe Moore Email To Rahm Emanuel by dnainfojen on Scribd
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