As she faces criticism over her criminal justice record, Lori Lightfoot is launching a new television ad highlighting her legal work on behalf of a man who she says was wrongly convicted of murder.
Lightfoot also accepted endorsements from Black Lives Matter activist Ja’Mal Green, who ran for Chicago mayor but dropped out and was not on the ballot, and William Calloway, a 5th Ward aldermanic candidate and activist who fought to get the Laquan McDonald shooting video released.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has criticized Lightfoot, calling her a “wealthy corporate lawyer.” Activists also have criticized the former federal prosecutor and city police oversight official’s record on criminal justice.
But on the campaign trail, Lightfoot frequently invokes the case of Albert Cleveland to rebut Preckwinkle’s attacks and talks of her work in helping to get murder charges against him dropped.
The ad, titled “Moment,” opens with Cleveland walking through an alley. It includes footage of him being interviewed and walking down streets.
“At the age of 19, I was charged with first-degree murder and I was given 45 years,” Cleveland says. “I was devastated — because I knew the truth. I was no angel, but I was no murderer.”
“When Ms. Lightfoot became involved, it was a ray of hope,” he says in the ad.
The ad then shows Lightfoot and Albert sitting across a table from each other. As he calls her “a ray of hope,” she puts her hands over his.
“Lori (assured) me, ‘You’re going home,’ and I’m here today,” Cleveland says.
Onscreen text notes, “Lori volunteered on Albert’s case for four years.” Meanwhile, Cleveland says, “Not many people would step up in these situations. But Lori Lightfoot is that person. Lori Lightfoot is a leader, and that’s what Chicagoans need at this moment.”
Lightfoot smiles as Cleveland talks, and the ad closes with her raising her arms in celebration alongside her wife.
The 30-second spot is scheduled to begin airing on Saturday.
Court records show Cleveland in 1996 was convicted of murder. Lightfoot and her team at Mayer Brown took on his appeal and argued that Cleveland’s former attorney had a conflict of interest and mishandled the case, court records show.
In February 2017, Cook County prosecutors dropped the murder charges and Cleveland pleaded guilty to a drug charge, records show. Lightfoot got him out of prison after he had served 21 years, her campaign said.
Prosecutors under State’s Attorney Kim Foxx “reviewed the matter and concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support a retrial of first degree murder charges in this case,” Foxx spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said. “Subsequently, a plea agreement was reached to resolve the remaining criminal charges.”
On Thursday, Chance the Rapper endorsed Preckwinkle after previously supporting policy consultant Amara Enyia and suggested Lightfoot had not protected the interests of “young black people.” Many activists are critical of Lightfoot for her involvement with law enforcement as a prosecutor and her service as head of Chicago’s Police Board, among other concerns.
But Lightfoot counters it’s better to have people with her background of growing up in a low-income, minority family working in law enforcement than not be represented. She has also defended her record on the Police Board by saying she was tougher on troubled cops than predecessors. At a news conference unveiling Green and Calloway’s endorsements, Green was asked about Chance’s comments that activists aren’t comfortable with Lightfoot.
“We’ve got activists here who feel comfortable, right?” he said.
He added: “There are activists who feel comfortable, who have had this conversation. Chance speaks for Chance, just as we speak for us and how we want to move this city forward.”
Lightfoot reiterated her record on the Police Board disciplining cops and noted she led a task force that issued a blistering report on the Chicago Police Department in 2016.
“A lot of people want to gloss over those facts and that record, but I think it’s important for people to understand that history,” she said.
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