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Federal agents raiding the office of Trump's tax attorney in Chicago this morning
Tweet from Buzzfeed's David Mack:
Link to tweet
Federal agents have raided the City Hall office of Chicago Alderman Ed Burke this morning. Burke's small law firm did tax work for Trump for 12 years 👀 https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/the-donald-and-the-alderman-break-up-burke-no-longer-doing-tax-work-for-trump/ …
Fromm that Sun Times article:
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/ed-burke-fbi-federal-agents-city-hall-council/
Federal agents showed up unannounced at the City Hall office of Finance Committee Chairman Ed Burke, kicked everyone out and papered over the windows Thursday morning.
The nature of their visit was not known, but Ald. Burke (14th) has dodged dozens of federal investigations over five decades in Chicago politics.
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment. Calls to the FBI office in Chicago and the IRS criminal investigations division were not immediately returned.
-snip-
Burke has been targeted for defeat by Congressman-elect Jesus “Chuy” Garcia because of his property-tax appeal work on the riverfront tower that bears the name of President Donald Trump.
Garcia, a former alderman and departing member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, said Burke’s work for Trump was disrespectful to his Hispanic constituents, who are now a majority in his ward.
“The fact that he has been Trump’s lawyer on reducing his property taxes and has been part of the property tax system in Chicago that has affected working people more than anybody else in a regressive manner are issues that have to be taken into account,” Garcia said earlier this year.
-snip-
In 50 years as ward committeeman and 49 years as alderman of a now-majority Hispanic ward once represented by his father, Burke has survived numerous threats to depose him as chairman of the City Council’s Finance Committee by mayors with whom he subsequently reached political accommodation.
-snip-
A Democrat, he’s shrugged off criticism regarding his law firm’s business relationship with one of Republican President Donald Trump’s companies. Burke’s firm, Klafter & Burke, repeatedly has sought to reduce the property taxes that Trump Tower and other commercial properties have to pay — a lucrative business that’s also enriched Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, D-Chicago.
-snip-
The nature of their visit was not known, but Ald. Burke (14th) has dodged dozens of federal investigations over five decades in Chicago politics.
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment. Calls to the FBI office in Chicago and the IRS criminal investigations division were not immediately returned.
-snip-
Burke has been targeted for defeat by Congressman-elect Jesus “Chuy” Garcia because of his property-tax appeal work on the riverfront tower that bears the name of President Donald Trump.
Garcia, a former alderman and departing member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, said Burke’s work for Trump was disrespectful to his Hispanic constituents, who are now a majority in his ward.
“The fact that he has been Trump’s lawyer on reducing his property taxes and has been part of the property tax system in Chicago that has affected working people more than anybody else in a regressive manner are issues that have to be taken into account,” Garcia said earlier this year.
-snip-
In 50 years as ward committeeman and 49 years as alderman of a now-majority Hispanic ward once represented by his father, Burke has survived numerous threats to depose him as chairman of the City Council’s Finance Committee by mayors with whom he subsequently reached political accommodation.
-snip-
A Democrat, he’s shrugged off criticism regarding his law firm’s business relationship with one of Republican President Donald Trump’s companies. Burke’s firm, Klafter & Burke, repeatedly has sought to reduce the property taxes that Trump Tower and other commercial properties have to pay — a lucrative business that’s also enriched Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, D-Chicago.
-snip-
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