WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times report that at least 27 current and former Chicago police officials appear in leaked rosters for the Oath Keepers.
Among them is a Chicago police officer who allegedly made racist jokes at a police firing range for years, a police supervisor who told an Englewood fundraising charity he had no desire to help “inner-city poor people,” and several with backgrounds that include allegations of excessive force, improper searches and racist comments on the job.
Investigators closed an investigation regarding officers’ ties to the Oath Keepers last year without finding any wrongdoing or investigating most of the police officials who appeared in the leak. After widespread criticism, the department has opened another investigation on the grounds that joining an extremist group violates the police department’s rules of conduct.
According to WBEZ, the Special Operations Section had members in leadership positions when the unit was disbanded after it was discovered that Oath Keepers had committed robberies and one had planned to murder a fellow law enforcement officer.
