Michael McGee: ‘government injustice must be fought’

Michael McGee

Editor’s note: On Dec. 28, Workers World contributing editor Bryan G. Pfeifer visited former Milwaukee Alderman Michael McGee Jr. at the Waukesha County Jail in Waukesha, Wis., a suburb 20 miles west of Milwaukee. McGee, an African American, was convicted in October 2008 of bribery, extortion and seven other counts by a jury with no African Americans.

He was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in federal prison.

McGee will be in the Waukesha jail until he is sentenced Feb. 13 on state felony charges of election official fraud and a misdemeanor charge of violating court orders, charges that could bring a maximum of four-and-a-half years in prison and $15,000 in fines.

Michael McGee has been in jail since May 31, 2007, when he was arrested at home in front of his spouse, three children and neighbors. He was initially charged with a host of federal and then state charges and his original bail was set at $250,000. After mass protests in the Black community, it was reduced to $50,000. A judge refused to release McGee, however, stating the FBI had tapped his jail phone and recorded alleged threats against informants. McGee continues to be subject to FBI and other state harassment.

McGee spent summer 2007 in “the hole” in Milwaukee County jail. He was then transferred to Dodge County jail in Juneau, an all-white rural area, for a month. Then he was moved to the Waukesha County jail and placed in “the hole” for the first seven months, ostensibly for “his protection,” according to the jail administration.

Despite strong support from his defense committee and community members who held demonstrations, packed the courtroom, wrote letters to judges and more, the horrendous conditions and logistical nightmares imposed on McGee and his attorneys have made it extremely difficult to wage an effective defense against the viciously racist state and federal prosecutors.

The corporate media have consistently described McGee in a racist manner. With a few notable exceptions, white progressive individuals and organizations have been virtually silent during McGee’s frame-up and legal lynching, except to denounce him.

McGee told Workers World that during the federal trial he was entrapped and that prosecution witnesses contradicted themselves. The prosecution was allowed to enter fabricated evidence and attempted to pit Arab and Indian witnesses against African-American witnesses. He said there were also numerous double standards in terms of white elected officials being charged with far worse crimes yet being treated by the state and feds far less severely, such as requiring minimal or no bail.

Asked why he thinks he was targeted by state and federal officials, McGee described his numerous progressive contributions to the city of Milwaukee before, during and after being an alderman. He pointed to specific actions he took as an alderman that particularly angered the rich, who are the bosses of the political servants that prosecuted him.

During his time in elected office, McGee engaged in many progressive actions including fighting police brutality, protesting the near-murder of Frank Jude Jr. by the Milwaukee police, refusing to “play ball” with developers who are rapidly gentrifying downtown Milwaukee and poor and working people’s neighborhoods, and writing to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to inquire about heating oil assistance for poor Milwaukee residents.

McGee also fought to broaden affirmative action in contract bidding and city hiring policies, opposed massive tax breaks for corporations in the city, supported jobs, cultural and education programs for youth, fought police harassment, and supported political prisoners including Mumia Abu-Jamal.

As our visit wound up, McGee asked Workers World to thank his supporters, specifically the Black community in Milwaukee, and said the fight is not over for him as he is appealing his federal case and preparing for his state court appearance.

“I maintain my innocence. It was a systematic attack on me. The injustice and wickedness of the government must be fought,” said McGee.

Gesturing to his cellblock, McGee said, “So many innocent people are in jail. They can’t afford lawyers.” He called on poor and working people to “challenge the system and become involved in some causes.”

Write to: Michael McGee Jr., Waukesha County Jail, P.O. Box 0217, Waukesha, WI 53187-0217.