The Advisors: Part 2 - Cop Connections, Cop Protectors and Cop City Builders
Another deep dive on the people behind Kamala Harris
This will be an ongoing research project examining the consultants involved with Kamala Harris, her campaign and the 2024 DNC Convention. The catalyst for this project was the NYT article which provided the majority of names for the people discussed on Episode 46 of Saturdays with Renee on Black Liberation Media.
The above graphic is a revised version of the one provided by the NYT. This graphic includes pictures of all the advisors discovered, including people who were not named in the article. The dataset used to create the graphic for this series can be found here.
Read Part 1: Precision Strategies
Part 2: Cop Connections, Cop Protectors and Cop City Builders
Before examining the connections between Harris’ advisors, cops and cop cities, it is necessary to first highlight the role of the Biden/Harris administration regarding policing and the expansion of the police state. Biden’s Safer American Plan, fully supported by Harris, called for an investment of $37 Billion into law enforcement and included the addition of 100,000 officers nationwide. After the budget was approved, the White House gleefully released information regarding how various municipalities spent the funding. All of this championing of law enforcement occurs as the number of killings by police increases annually, according to mappingpoliceviolence.org.
It is also important to note that Tim Walz, during his tenure as Minnesota governor, activated the state national guard to respond to racist police violence protests during 2020. A decision which resulted in additional violence waged against protestors. This police violence was not limited to Minneapolis, instead happening in a variety of additional cities across the country.
The Indirect Connections
Mike Pyle, former Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics in the Biden administration, and one of Harris’ current economics advisors does not have a clear and direct connection. However, in researching for this article, a few facts were discovered that were worth publicly addressing.
Pyle’s hometown of Harristown, IL is just outside of Decatur, and is located within Macon County. Macon’s Sheriff for just over one year was Howard Buffett. It was later determined Buffett’s law enforcement certification was inappropriately awarded.
Howard Buffett is the Chairman and CEO of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, which is the main funding source of the National ICAT (Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics) Training Center which opened last May in Decatur, IL. Buffett’s foundation also granted a $15 Million donation to the construction of the 2017 Decatur “Law Enforcement Training Facility”.
Howard, son of Warren Buffett, also serves on the corporate board of Berkshire Hathaway. Pyle’s former employer, Blackrock has an 8% ownership interest in Berkshire Hathaway as of February, 2023.
As stated, a direct link between Buffett and Pyle; or Pyle and the LETF, PERF or ICAT could not be clearly identified. Thus, this information is more intriguing than it is damaging. That stated, Buffett’s continued financial support of law enforcement, both in and around Decatur, has earned the consternation of organizers, and abolitionists alike. As such, these indirect connections between investment companies, billionaires, cop cities and Harris’ advisors needed to be brought to light.
The Cop Protectors
Both Deanne Millison and Marty Walsh played direct roles within municipality administrations with highly problematic police departments.
Millison, a native of Chicago, IL, served as the Deputy Director for the Legislative Council and Government Affairs Team for then mayor, Rahm Emanuel. Millison’s tenure in the position began in December, 2016, one year after the US DOJ initiated its investigation of the Chicago PD in response to the police murder of Laquan McDonald in October, 2014. Millison would remain with Emanuel’s staff, as public safety counsel, despite the DOJ investigation, widely known police corruption, and unethical behavior of Emanuel, behavior which spanned his entire political career.
Marty Walsh served as the Mayor of Boston, MA from 2014-2021, before being tapped by the Biden Administration as Secretary of Labor. During his tenure as mayor, the Boston PD participated in a program similar to NYPD’s “Stop and Frisk”. In 2019 specifically, the Boston program, “Field Interrogation and Observation,” yielded less overall stops than the NYPD program, but resulted in a similar disparity in the treatment of Black and Brown residents. This was not a departure from the data collected in 2016, exposing a pattern of racist policing long unchecked by city officials. Prior to accepting the role in the Biden administration, Walsh seemed to make a public presentation of “police reform.” However, a review of those efforts over a year later found that “fewer than a quarter” of the recommendations were actually completed.
The historical role both of these Harris advisors have played with the police departments for which they were in part responsible should be a concern. Especially given the Harris campaign has clearly stated on her website, “she will also continue to invest in funding law enforcement, including the hiring and training of officers…” Harris’ intentions to continue Biden’s policies will likely have the same impact, which will not be a reduction in “crime” but an increased death count at the hands of cops.
The Cop City Builders
The construction site for the Las Vegas Joint Emergency Training Institute (JETI) is in the East Valley of Las Vegas at the foot of the Sunrise Mountains. The site presents a few environmental issues, including the replacement of natural springs by pavement and cement, and the blockage of natural tributaries by private real estate and military infrastructure. The effort is supported within the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act. This bill was introduced by Harris advisor and current Nevada Senator, Catherine Cortez Masto, who previously worked alongside Harris as the Nevada state attorney general.
The “public safety” narrative often associated with these facilities, is also being utilized for the JETI, which is being expanded to include a gun firing range. The groundbreaking for this part of the project was attended by the “Clark County Commission”. It is unclear if Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones participated in the ceremony, given his decision to step down as Vice Chair of the commission, prior to the event. This was in response to his being found liable for destroying evidence and lying to the court prior to his election. Jones, who was reelected in 2022, was endorsed by multiple law enforcement agencies, and is married to Vegas native Megan Jones. Megan Jones is a current senior advisor to the Harris campaign, and has worked with Harris since her 2020 presidential bid.
The shared border between Nevada and California is a stated reason for collaboration between the politicians of these two states. As the self-proclaimed “top cop” Harris has worked diligently to maintain her prosecutor persona. Therefore, the Harris/Walz campaign issue of law enforcement defines their intention to bolster a system that works as it should, but not in the way propaganda would lead voters to believe.
Why does it matter?
These links (whether direct or indirect) to billionaire cop lovers, police and political corruption, racist police violence, as well as the expansion of the police state via cop cities, should raise concerns. Concerns which will neither be identified or addressed by this continued focus on the lesser evil narrative.
We must continue to ask better questions.
Special thanks to the SCC Research Committee for their never ending work on cop cities, and for allowing me to share information on the Las Vegas JETI.
Other Interesting Reads:
https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2017/01/justice-department-chicago-police-report/513113/