Letter to the Editor: Taylor’s Harvesting of Emails Has Chilling Implications

by J.B. Miller

I read the article about Taylor’s harvesting of public emails, likely for campaign purposes. As I read the article, I was curious to see who the campaign staffer was and looked closely at the header of the email graphic included. Then I noticed that the title of the attached Word doc was “Defund AAPD emails.docx.” So, not only did Taylor’s firm obtain emails from the public, they obtained signatories to the Defund AAPD campaign and petition. As an anti-police brutality activist, this is both infuriating and chilling. Is Taylor preserving emails of those who signed that petition to the city for purposes of campaigning, purposes of future retaliation, or both? How could we know? We do know Taylor is AAPD’s strongest ally and protector, defending them from public efforts at transparency and accountability.

I wanted to highlight this particular fact and potential angle. I think many of those who signed that petition would be as alarmed and angry as I am. I tried to find the organizers of that campaign, but it’s no longer online. I can’t remember the details.

Thanks for your work, especially on the racism at the DV shelter.

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