Michael McGee, Jr.

Michael Imanu McGee Jr. (born Michael Imanu Jackson; October 7, 1969), is an American politician who served as alderman of Milwaukee's Sixth District. He was elected in April 2004 to become along with his father, former alderman Michael McGee Sr., the first father and son in the history of Milwaukee to serve on the Common Council. McGee attended West Division High School but transferred to Bay View High School when West Division became the Milwaukee High School of the Arts and dropped its sports programs. He was sentenced to four months in the House of Correction and 18 months of probation and ordered to perform community service and undergo an alcohol and drug assessment. The election commission eventually determined that he had collected two more than the minimum number of signatures.

In a more hotly contested race in April 2003, McGee lost to Willie Wade for the Tenth District aldermanic seat vacated by Rosa Cameron following her conviction on federal charges of misappropriating federal funds. On primary election day, February 18, McGee ran into problems when the principal of North Division High School complained to UWM officials that McGee tried to get students at the school where he worked to help him campaign instead of attending school. UWM officials said McGee has admitted to using "poor judgment" in getting students involved in "inappropriate" campaign activity.

Once in office, his first high-profile action was the creation of what he called a Rapid Response Team, which included neighborhood and community leaders mobilized in an effort to combat increasing community violence. In a press release issued at the time, McGee said: "The Rapid Response Team would be dispatched immediately when serious disputes between neighbors are reported, when there are complaints about police brutality and when residents and business owners have serious concerns about police response to burglar alarms. The team will respond to community concerns and will be on the scene to collect and exchange information and to document what's going on."

Following an investigation of the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Greater Milwaukee which resulted in charges against two of the agency's subsidiaries, the conviction of its former head, Carl Gee, and a guilty plea from former state Senator Gary George, McGee filed a complaint against United States Attorney Steven M. Biskupic with the United States Justice Department claiming racial bias and overzealous prosecution. In his letter, McGee claimed that the black community sees Biskupic, who is white, as "a plantation overseer ... whose sole purpose is to lynch black leadership and the institutions that support us."

Numerous public officials called upon McGee to apologize for his use of the homosexual epithet, particularly State Senator Tim Carpenter, who is openly gay. When confronted by Carpenter, McGee refused to apologize and told Carpenter to "move out the way." He then walked into his office, causing Carpenter to shout after him, "Why are you hiding?"

Six of McGee's fellow aldermen signed a letter asking McGee to apologize. These boycotts were widely criticized on the basis that they would disproportionately affect black workers and black business owners and thus be counterproductive, and that the targeted businesses were completely unrelated to any complained-of actions in the Jude case. Subsequently, McGee led demonstrations calling for United States Attorney Steven M. Biskupic to bring federal charges. Biskupic eventually did bring federal civil rights charges that resulted in the convictions of seven Milwaukee police officers.

Wauwatosa arrest In November 2005, McGee was arrested and was cited for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in Wauwatosa following an incident in a Blockbuster parking lot. The incident began when the Blockbuster store manager called the police concerned about a suspicious car in the store's parking lot after the store closed. Police officers responded and made contact with McGee. The officers explained why they were called and McGee responded that he understood the employees' concerns. The officers told McGee he was free to go, but as he left, McGee shouted an obscenity at the employees in the store. police report says McGee was pushed to the hood of the car because he was struggling against the handcuffs. A McGee supporter struck the white male on the head with a bullhorn and eventually five people, the white male and four of McGee's supporters, were all arrested for disorderly conduct. The police chief used McGee's own admission that he engaged in a brief "struggle" during the arrest in vindicating the officers. "Any type of physical resistance to a lawful arrest will result in officers utilizing tactics to gain control of the situation and to minimize force used against them", he said.

Name change In May 2006, it came to light that McGee's true surname was Jackson. McGee filed a petition seeking to legally change his name from Michael Imanu Jackson to Michael Imanu McGee, the name he alleged he had used all his life. For example, McGee had obtained a driver's license in the name of Jackson, which was subsequently suspended. McGee later admitted that when his driver's license under the name McGee was suspended, he made up a Social Security number and got a license under the surname Jackson. The following day, McGee filed for a harassment restraining order against Rucker. However, Rucker claimed that she was pregnant by McGee for the second time (the first pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage). McGee also admitted using the specific email account but claimed numerous others also had access to the account. DNA tests later proved that McGee was the father of Rucker's child.

During a hearing in which a judge dismissed the restraining order that McGee had obtained against Rucker, McGee turned around and spoke to Rucker. Rucker reported that McGee said, "If you drive by my house, I'm going to kill your ass."

Recall election In October 2006, ViAnna Jordan began an effort to recall McGee. Among the reasons Jordan listed for the recall were "fraudulent use of alias names to avoid responsibility for accident damages", referring to the discovery that McGee held driver's licenses under both names, and to other incidents, such as arrests for disorderly conduct and perjury allegations, both from a series of restraining-order hearings involving the mother of his child, as well as calling a suspect in the beating of Frank Jude Jr. a "straight-up sick faggot" at a rally. Other reasons were more general, such as "has become an embarrassment to our community." Todd was the campaign manager for recall organizer Jordan.

He then gave out Todd's phone number over the air, leading to Todd receiving numerous harassing phone calls. For example, in 1996, McGee's father, also named Michael McGee, congratulated the person who fire bombed Todd's home, stating, "They are the kind of people I would like to pin a medal of honor on", and "My whole-hearted congratulations to the guerrilla who issued a little warning shot to Todd. I know where it came from." In response to a Jordan supporter admitting in an affidavit that she misled people into signing the recall petitions, the Election Commission asked the District Attorney's office to investigate. In the eight-person primary election, McGee earned 64% of the vote, permitting him to remain in office without a run-off election.

However, the John Doe investigation continued, and, rather than uncovering evidence of fraud on the part of Jordan and the recall supporters, the investigation uncovered evidence of widespread election-related crimes on the part of McGee and his supporters. On June 4, 2007, McGee was charged with five misdemeanors and five felonies for his alleged conduct during the recall election and the subsequent investigation.

According to the federal criminal complaint filed in the case, FBI agents using wiretaps and undercover surveillance, watched as McGee shook down a business owner who wanted to obtain or keep a liquor license and a gas station owner who sought to operate 24 hours a day. In February, an undercover agent approached McGee about putting a business with a liquor license in his district and paid a bribe, the complaint says. "McGee told the UCE (undercover agent) that he (McGee) is the gatekeeper for all new businesses in his area", the complaint says. At a fund-raiser, the agent gave McGee $1,000, most of it cash bundled in a rubber band, the complaint says. McGee told the agent, "I got you", the complaint says. At least two bribes were paid with money orders, one of which went to an attorney representing McGee in a paternity suit and another for "recall petition work", the complaint says. An affidavit in support of a search warrant alleged that McGee used his Rapid Response Team to demand bribes from business owners in McGee's district. Rather than using the money for to improve the community, the affidavit alleged that McGee used the money to pay his personal expenses.

After $50,000 bail was posted in the state case, McGee was promptly taken into federal custody. A United States magistrate judge initially granted McGee bail but imposed numerous restrictions. The government appealed the grant of bail and Chief Judge Rudolph T. Randa ordered McGee detained pending trial. Randa cited concerns that if allowed home, even under severe restrictions, McGee would attempt to intimidate witnesses and sway their testimony on both state and federal charges. from the City of Milwaukee until he was eventually voted out of office.

The government presented the testimony of a McGee friend - turned informant - Jack Adel and numerous business owners in McGee's district who testified that they gave money to McGee associate - Dennis Walton - in exchange for his support in licensing matters that came before the Common Council. When asked by Judge Clevert about the whereabouts of Walton, the U.S. Attorney Joseph Wall stated that the F.B.I. could not find Walton. McGee's attorney argued that McGee was set up by a politically motivated business owner.

On June 24, 2008, after roughly six hours of deliberation, the jury returned its verdict finding McGee guilty of all nine counts.

On October 28, 2008, McGee was sentenced to 6 ½ years in federal prison. The federal sentencing guidelines called for McGee to receive between 12 ½ and 15 ½ years in prison and the government called for a sentence within this range. At his sentencing, McGee wept, apologized to his family, the community, victimized business owners, the Milwaukee Common Council, and black pioneers who laid the groundwork for his accomplishments, and called himself, "immature", "selfish", "narcissistic", "spiritually flawed", and "a very poor, broken man". He was also ordered to pay $107,433 in restitution. On the day following his sentencing in federal court, it was reported that McGee will plead guilty to one felony and one misdemeanor in state court as part of a plea deal.

Election loss to Milele Coggs McGee ran his re-election campaign in 2008 from behind bars, and won the first election versus several candidates. This story made the New York Times. On April 1, 2008, he lost to Milele A. Coggs, who garnered 3,098 votes (58% of total votes) to McGee's 2,224 votes (42%).