Overview

Bobby Lee Rush (born November 23, 1946) is an American politician and activist who co-founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party with Fred Hampton in 1968. On December 4, 1969, a pre-dawn raid by the Cook County State's Attorney's police, working with the FBI under COINTELPRO, killed 21-year-old Black Panther chairman Fred Hampton and defense captain Mark Clark at the apartment at 2337 West Monroe Street in Chicago. Rush survived because he was not at the apartment that night. The raid was orchestrated using intelligence from FBI informant William O'Neal, who had provided a floor plan of Hampton's apartment to the Bureau and had drugged Hampton with secobarbital before the raid so he could not resist. Ballistics evidence later showed that police fired between 82 and 99 rounds while the Panthers fired at most one. A federal grand jury investigation and a 1982 civil rights lawsuit settlement of $1.85 million (shared between Hampton and Clark families and surviving Panthers) confirmed the coordinated nature of the attack. After the decimation of the Black Panther Party through COINTELPRO operations, Rush transitioned to electoral politics. He served as an alderman in Chicago's 2nd Ward before winning election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, representing Illinois' 1st Congressional District. He served in Congress for 30 years until his retirement in January 2023. In 2000, Rush defeated a young state senator named Barack Obama in the Democratic primary for his seat by a margin of 2-to-1, the only election loss of Obama's career. Rush was one of the longest-serving African American members of Congress and remained a vocal advocate for civil rights, gun violence prevention, and police accountability throughout his career.

Key Affiliations

Controversies & Concerns

Related Investigations (1)

Known Associates & Connections

Sources & Documentation

3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports