Four people have died in the Milwaukee County jail this year, including one infant who was born in a cell. Several dozen mothers, their young children and others advocating for a U.S. Department of Justice investigation took their message to Sheriff David Clarke’s office on Friday morning. They demanded Clarke’s immediate resignation.
Clarke responded in a post on his department'sFacebook pageFriday afternoon. The sheriff said those calling for his resignation are part of a "politically motivated and politically-orchestrated Democrat Party" effort, which has no knowledge about the issues involved.
Clarke said the Friday event has "everything to do with my support and instrumental help in getting Donald J. Trump elected the 45th president of the United States, including winning the state of Wisconsin."
Here is the text of the letter delivered to Clarke's office by the groups Progressive Moms of Milwaukee, UBLAC (Uplifting Black Liberation and Community) and All People's Church:
Four inmates have died this year while in custody at the County Jail under your watch, the latest of which was an infant. As you well know, pregnant woman with special needs was ignored as she went into labor in her cell. The baby was born in the cell, and neither the mother nor baby received any medical attention until it was too late.
As citizens of Milwaukee County, we are outraged and appalled at the treatment of inmates here. Any investigations into these deaths have been private and/or internal, with very little information released to the public.
We demand your immediate resignation and release of all information surrounding each of the deaths within the county jail this year.
Here is Sheriff Clarke's response, posted on his agency's Facebook page:
The name ‘Progressive Moms’ alone tells me everything I need to know about this politically motivated and politically-orchestrated Democrat Party operative. This is what is meant by Fake News. An Astroturf movement that has no knowledge of what is even involved here, contacts an accomplice media, and stages an event to create sensationalism and drama.
The Democrat Party just lost an election to Donald Trump because they show more concern for criminals than law-abiding citizens, victims of crime and law enforcement.
A few days ago, in a 24-hour period, there were four people shot in the city of Milwaukee, three of whom died. This violence barely registered on the local media’s radar screen. The media and the Progressive Moms seem more interested in generating Fake News because it involves Sheriff David Clarke, but they aren’t interested in the epidemic of black on black crime in Milwaukee. In one of the shooting death cases, two dead bodies were found in a home where two children were found hiding in a closet. Where were these Progressive Moms when that happened? Answer? They were nowhere to be found because the politics didn’t fit their narrative. These Progressive Moms’ time would be better spent demonstrating in front of abortion clinics that kill babies every day.
This Fake News doesn’t move me. This has everything to do with my support and instrumental help in getting Donald J. Trump elected the 45th president of the United States, including winning the state of Wisconsin.
