Offices of powerful Chicago alderman raided by feds

Burke

Alderman. Ed Burke (14th) is a poster child for term limits. He succeeded his father who died in office in 1969. For much of his time in office Burke has been chairman of the Finance Committee, which means, of course, Burke's fingerprints are all over Chicago's pension bomb.

Suspicion has surrounded Burke for years. But now the situation has become intriguing. The national media, and to a lesser extent the locals, are trying to tie this development to Burke's legal work for Donald J. Trump.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

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 exact nature of their visit was not known, but Ald. Burke (14th) has dodged dozens of federal investigations over five decades in Chicago politics.

A source told the Sun-Times the raids were in response to new allegations, and not prompted by any past controversies that have swirled around Burke. That means, for now, the investigation isn't focused on Burke’s property-tax-appeal work for President Donald Trump, or Burke’s oversight of a city workers’ compensation fund, among other matters.

It doesn’t mean, however, that those dots won’t be connected later.

Later that day the feds visited Burke's Southwest Side ward office.

Even before yesterday's news Burke was facing a tough reelection. His brother, a state representative, was defeated in the Democratic Primary by an Hispanic candidate. Burke's ward, once dominated by working class whites, is now heavily Hispanic.