Jan. 07--Political newcomer Donna More on Wednesday kicked off her campaign to become Cook County's top prosecutor by attacking State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, with the challenger saying she would have brought charges against a Chicago police officer far sooner in the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald.
More did not limit her criticism to Alvarez's handling of what now is the murder case against Officer Jason Van Dyke. She also said Alvarez has done too little to battle public corruption in a county that runs on a "finely tuned system of winks and nods, contracts and kickbacks, jobs here for political favors there."
"Anita Alvarez has run an appallingly lackluster office for years with delayed prosecutions, wrongful convictions and policies that favor influencers and the well-connected while justice takes a back seat to politics -- and victims and their families pay the price," More said before dozens of supporters in a rented ballroom at the Hotel Intercontinental on North Michigan Avenue.
With that fiery assault on Alvarez, who is seeking a third term, former state and federal prosecutor More began the local post-holiday campaign season in a contest that has attracted national attention because of the McDonald shooting.
McDonald, an African-American 17-year-old alternative high school student, was killed in October 2014 when a white police officer pumped 16 bullets into his body. Police later said McDonald was lunging at Van Dyke with a knife.
A judge ordered a police dashboard camera video of the incident to be released by the city in late November, and Alvarez charged Van Dyke with murder hours before it was made public. The video appeared to show McDonald walking away from Van Dyke, and its troubling images sparked protests and calls for Alvarez's resignation.
Protesters have suggested Alvarez should have brought charges far sooner, and More said Wednesday she would have filed them in November 2014 based on the video evidence. Alvarez has said she was investigating the case jointly with federal authorities and was waiting on them to conclude their part of the probe. The criticism and Alvarez's response have become the central issue of the campaign.
After More's event, Alvarez spokeswoman Sally Daly defended her boss, noting how difficult it is to convict police officers in misconduct cases. "It is alarming that Ms. More would suggest that this case should have been charged after only looking at the video and without a meticulous examination of all the facts and the evidence," Daly wrote in an email response to questions from the Tribune.
Daly also said Alvarez has brought "nearly 200 felony charges in cases involving public corruption or police misconduct" and disputed the assertion that Alvarez's leadership has been "lackluster." Daly listed as Alvarez's accomplishments successful legislative initiatives, alternative prosecution programs and the formation of a new unit to review potential wrongful convictions.
Also running in the March 15 Democratic primary is Kim Foxx, a former state prosecutor and chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Foxx also has been critical of Alvarez's handling of the McDonald case.
Alvarez became the first Latina to win the office eight years ago, when she won a five-person Democratic primary, and went on to win the general election. Despite Alvarez's incumbent status, the Cook County Democratic Party, in which Preckwinkle has strong influence, did not endorse anyone in the race.
Backing More at her event were former First Assistant State's Attorney Robert Milan, who was one of the Democratic primary candidates in 2008; well-known criminal defense attorney Sam Adam Jr. and former Circuit Court Judge Joseph Romano. Also at the event supporting More was ex-gang leader Wallace "Gator" Bradley, a paid consultant to the campaign who has been hired by many politicians as an "urban translator."
With some loss of Latino and African-American support because of the McDonald case, Alvarez on Wednesday sought to show some strength by announcing that her campaign raised more that $405,000 during the past three months of 2015. In December, More donated $250,000 to her own campaign, on top of $99,000 in contributions earlier from her mother and husband, which lifted contribution limits in the race.
hdardick@tribpub.com
