Team ROC — the social justice arm of left-wing rap mogul Jay-Z company ROC Nation — which has previously bailed anti-police protesters out of jail, is now suing the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department (KCKPD) over allegations that the department covered up instances of police misconduct.
Jay-Z has spent years supporting far-left social organizations. In 2016, the streaming music service Tidal, which Jay-Z once held a major stake in, donated $1.5 million to the Marxist political organization Black Lives Matter and other social justice group.
The lawsuit — which was filed on Monday in the Wyandotte County District Court — is requesting access to records that it claims will expose complaints filed against members of the department’s investigative division, and documents related to the training and supervision of KCKPD officers, according to a report by ABC News.
Team ROC attorney Alex Spiro told ABC News that after requesting information through the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA), he believes the documents provided to him by the KCKPD were “not sufficient.”
“The government has attempted to block our access to those files, and so we’re suing to see what they don’t want us to see,” Spiro said.
The lawsuit claims the KCKPD has “refused to produce documents pertaining to any steps that the City has taken in response to those Complaints, including any investigations or disciplinary proceedings initiated as a result of the complaints.”
“These documents will help identify the scope of the problem, any potential evidence of a cover-up, and also the potential causes,” the lawsuit states.
KCKPD public information officer Nancy Chartrand told ABC News that “the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS has received notice that Roc Nation has filed a petition for a writ of mandamus in the Wyandotte County District Court today regarding an earlier open records request.”
“The Unified Government has previously produced hundreds of the requested records per the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) with some exceptions,” Chartrand added.
Chartrand went on to say that “KORA does not require the disclosure of personnel records and criminal investigation records, for example, without specific circumstances.”
“In response, Roc Nation has filed a 28-page petition stating there is a special interest in disclosing all records so the public can seek justice,” Chartrand said. “Once the petition has been thoroughly reviewed, the Unified Government will follow-up by filing a response.”
Last year, Jay-Z’s Team ROC teamed up with other social justice groups in an effort to bail out protesters arrested after taking to the streets following Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm’s announcement that police officer Joseph Mensah would not face criminal charges in the fatal shooting of Alvin Cole.
While the social justice arm of Jay-Z’s organization takes action against police, the rapper’s wife Beyoncé has spent years stoking anti-police sentiment in the U.S., and has emerged in recent years as one of the anti-police movement’s most affluent and influential supporters.
In 2016, Beyoncé used her platform as a performer at the Super Bowl 50 halftime to stage a tribute to the militant Black Panthers Party, which some, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, called a blatant attack on law enforcement. The pop star received a highway-clearing police escort to be sure she arrived at the Levi’s Stadium on time.
Police escort and entourage #Beyonce Heading to Levi's stadium & #SB @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/jdYcC0UBIN
— Stephen Stock (@StephenStockTV) February 7, 2016
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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