Trump's Chicago lawyer, Ed Burke (Alderman), just got charged with racketeering.

[pnwmom]

Burke was Trump's lawyer for 12 years, and got a big tax reduction on his Chicago Tower. I wonder if Burke has info he could offer up on Trump?

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/5/30/18646020/chicago-alderman-edward-burke-indictment

Now, Chicago’s longest-serving alderman has been charged with racketeering and bribery in a stunning, highly anticipated 59-page federal indictment filled with detailed allegations of classic Chicago graft. It not only accuses Burke, 75, of using his position to steer legal business to his private firm, but it also alleges he used the City of Chicago as a criminal “enterprise” as part of the racketeering charge — a law first devised decades ago to combat mobsters and organized crime.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2018/6/8/18361897/the-donald-and-the-alderman-break-up-burke-no-longer-doing-tax-work-for-trump

The powerful Chicago alderman’s small law firm had worked for Trump for 12 years, persuading Cook County officials to cut the property taxes on the president’s namesake downtown skyscraper by a total of more than $14 million.

But Burke announced his breakup with Trump in letters filed last month with the Cook County courts and the Illinois State Property Tax Appeal Board. He wrote that “irreconcilable differences” have led his firm to stop representing Trump’s company and step aside in five current cases that seek refunds of millions of dollars in property taxes the president’s company has paid.

[empedocles]

1. Birds of a feather

[at140]

2. What exactly is racketeering?

That term has been around for ever.

[pnwmom]

5. I believe it's when a person or org has a pattern or web of criminal activity, like organized crime

figures. This is what CNN say:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/26/us/what-is-racketeering-trnd/index.html

[at140]

8. Thank you for looking that up!

I used to think racketeering was a single issue crime like running illegal gambling operation or something like that. Now it is much clear to me what racketeering involves.

[Wounded Bear]

11. Racketeering almost always involves conspiracy...

That's why large organizations fall afoul of the RICO laws, which were enacted to go after crime syndicates, but can also be used against anybody who conspires to commit crimes.

[mopinko]

7. he was basically extorting people to do business w his tax firm.

oh, you want a building permit? let me appeal your taxes for you.
oh, you want a zoning change, hire my brother's maintenance firm.

i think the salient point is the combination of bribery and shake downs/threats, in return for official acts, in this case.

[malaise]

3. Off to the greatest page

for visibility - mobsters are everywehre

[Hekate]

4. Too late to announce that "breakup" with Trump. I hope that many more have cause to regret....

...that they ever helped out Trump.

[pnwmom]

6. They broke up last summer -- but I agree, it's likely they were tied up in something illegal,

based on their histories.

[mopinko]

9. i'm sure that whatever burke shook him down for he paid.

but maybe he didnt need eddie any more, now that he is such a big man, and eddie didnt like that.

[mopinko]

10. i dont mind aldermen having side gigs, but this shit?

when your side job is trying to drain the coffers of your day job, you need to get fired from one or the other.
i believe lightfoot will try to clamp down on some of this shit. i hope.

she did give eddie some whatfor in her first council meeting, and later said he should resign. good old chitown, where you can be under indictment and still get re-elected.
ya got your work cut out for you mayor, but if you can stop this shit, you will go down in history for more reasons than your historic victory.

[Wounded Bear]

12. Wasn't there already something going on with Trump Tower Chicago?

I thought they were being investigated for shady dealings with his building to do with permits and things, like environmental violations.

Everything Trump touches goes to shit.

[Blue_true]

13. No surprise. Trump seems to never have dealt with honest people (except screwing them in every way

possible).

[RainCaster]

14. Winning!

So much winning