If you want to know one of the reasons why Donald Trump won the election—or, more to the point, why Hillary Clinton lost—check out the thousands of e-mails Mayor Rahm Emanel released this week—kicking and screaming—thanks to a lawsuit filed by the Better Government Association.
Reading Rahm’s e-mails reminded me of the stories Mick Dumke and I used to write about the mayor’s first-term appointment book. He’d set aside time to meet with bankers, CEOs, and other money men, but rarely met with labor leaders, activists, or ordinary citizens.
The mayor’s lawyers—who are actually paid for by the taxpayers—argued that the e-mails aren’t in the public record because they were sent and received from the mayor’s personal e-mail address.
Finally, on December 21, the mayor agreed to give the BGA those e-mails—and only those e-mails—that pertain to some matter of public interest.
Think about it: These e-mails cover five momentous years in Chicago history—including two teachers strikes, a bitter mayoral election, school closings, school scandals, and ceaseless shootings—and the mayor has almost nothing to say about any of it?
In the early years of Rahm’s administration, Rauner bombarded the mayor and his aides with e-mails, basically asking Rahm to get tough on teachers and go easy on taxing rich guys.
