The Senate is set to hold its confirmation hearing for former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday the seventh anniversary of the murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald that Emanuel notoriously covered up.

President Joe Biden tapped Emanuel earlier this year to become the U.S. ambassador to Japan, sparking anger and disappointment among progressive activists, Chicagoans and Black leaders. The former mayor and top adviser for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama will appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday to face questions regarding his qualifications.

In 2014, then-Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke shot McDonald 16 times as the Black teen was walking away. For at least a year after McDonalds death, Emanuel and his administration actively blocked the release of a video showing Van Dyke killing the teen. It was only after Emanuel was reelected in 2015 that a state court ordered city officials to release police dashcam footage of the shooting that differed significantly from the initial police account demonizing McDonald.

The shooting and release of the footage resulted in widespread protests in Chicago. Van Dyke was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced in 2019 to just under seven years in prison, though he is potentially eligible for parole in February. Emanuel left his post as mayor the same year Van Dyke was sentenced, deciding against a third term after becoming the least popular mayor in modern Chicago history.