Chicago politicians join calls for Anita Alvarez's resignation

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The calls for Alvarez to resign come from within her own party and include the powerful voice of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

The political fallout from the Laquan McDonald shooting continues Monday as Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke was ordered held on a bond of $1.5 million for the killing of the Chicago teenager. Now, some Chicago politicians are calling for the resignation of Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez.

The calls for Alvarez to resign come from within her own party and include the powerful voice of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

"I think the way in which she's run the office is disgraceful," Preckwinkle said.

Preckwinkle joined the chorus demanding the resignation of Anita Alvarez, the Cook County state's attorney who took over 13 months to decide to charge Van Dyke in the Laquan McDonald murder. Earlier, the county board president demanded the city fire Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy for his handling of the same case.

"Changing the leadership at the state's attorney's office is very important at this time and that's why I'm supporting Kim Foxx for state's attorney," Preckwinkle said.

"I am encouraged that the county is paying attention to this race," said Kim Foxx, candidate for state's attorney.

Foxx is Preckwinkle's former chief of staff, who was endorsed months ago by the president in next year's Democratic primary.

Alvarez - who says the charging delay was caused by her office's cooperation with federal investigators - emailed Monday: "I will not be bullied by politicians who do not have a full understanding of the facts of the investigation."

"It's clear to me that there's been a cover-up," said Cook County Board Cmsr. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia.

Meanwhile, a half dozen Latino politicians joined the call for the resignation of Alvarez, Cook County's first Latina state's attorney.

"We're not giving anyone a pass," Garcia said.

"Over a year it took her to come to the conclusion that this individual needed to be indicted," said Ald. Riccardo Munoz, 22nd Ward.

Last summer, Cook County Democrats decided not to endorse the two-term incumbent Alvarez. Some committeemen alleged she is reluctant to prosecute police or politically-connected suspects.

"If I were Anita Alvarez, I would resign," said Donna More, a candidate for state's attorney.

Attorney Donna More met the deadline to file petitions to become a third candidate in the Democratic primary race. She is a former state and federal prosecutor.

"The reason that I'm running is to restore people's faith in this office," More said.

The 2016 primary election will be held on March 15, 2016. As mentioned earlier, the Democratic Party has not endorsed a candidate for state's attorney leaving this a wide-open race where the Laquan McDonald case will be a centerpiece issue.