On this episode we sit down with Lauren Cole to discuss her two recent reports about Chicago Police Department Superintendent David Brown’s hidden suspension for lying in internal misconduct investigation during his time in Dallas. The suspension was actually for providing false information to a responding officer and then that officer’s superiors during the follow investigation regarding action taken by Brown and his partner during a chase of a stolen car that resulted in two accidents. Brown gave these false statements when he knew there was eyewitness testimony to the events that occurred that had to contradict his untruthful recount of events.
The second piece the Lauren published is about who must have known about the suspension and didn’t say anything to the public or alderpeople who had to confirm his appointment. It is clear that the Chicago Police Board through their vetting process had to know about the suspension but decided anyways to put Brown’s name on the short list of candidates that they delivered to the Mayor. Lauren also documents that before the Board sent Mayor Lori Lightfoot their short list she was already interviewing candidates and as Lauren documents there is reporting that the Board knew that Lightfoot wanted Brown as her superintendent and manipulated the short list to make sure Brown was the clear choice. This of course was all done despite his suspension that all of the above covered up.
CJP is not saying at this point whether the suspension itself should be disqualifying but instead we hope that we allow people to know the degree to which the process for selecting Brown was corrupted despite the promises of candidate Lightfoot to do things differently than her predecessors. The corruption of the process to select a candidate for superintendent of the Chicago Police Department with a confirmed history of lying multiple times during an internal misconduct investigation should demonstrate the degree to which the Mayor will use her political power to an end that she wants despite it not being good for the city or the residents of Chicago.
Who Knew About David Brown Suspension
Channel 5 Coverage of our report – here.
Video of today’s show:
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