CHICAGO — At the Ed Burke Trial Tuesday, jurors got the first glimpse of the undercover videos secretly recorded by former alderman Danny Solis, the tapes of which have been described as key evidence in the case against the powerful former alderman.
It was 18 degrees in downtown Chicago when former 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke walked into the Dirksen Federal Building. Inside the 25th floor courtroom where his historic trial was taking place, the proceedings heated up Tuesday.
Charged with 14 counts of racketeering, bribery and extortion, prosecutors began their presentation by presenting evidence of Burke's alleged extortion of the developers of one of Chicago's most iconic buildings, The Old Main Post Office, from January 2016-20.
New York-based developer "601 West" took on the nearly $600 million project to bring the behemoth of a building back to life along the Eisenhower Expressway in the South Loop.
It had been laying vacant since the U.S. Postal Service moved to a new building in the mid-1990's, and sits in the City's 25th Ward, where Danny Solis served as alderman and the City's zoning committee chairman across two decades.
F.B.I. special agent Ryan McDonald testified that the bureau had been investigating Solis as early as 2014. When agents confronted Solis with evidence of crimes he was alleged to have committed, they convinced him to cooperate with the FBI's investigation, which would go on to earn him nicknames like, "the Council Mole," and "the Undercover Alderman."
Tuesday, jurors watched video secretly recorded by Solis showing a meeting he had with Burke, where the two strategized about the Old Main Post Office project.
From an undercover camera, Solis can be seen holding a glass, as Burke pops in and out of frame.
On tape, Solis told Burke he was going to recommend contractors to the developers, to which Burke replied, "Well, while you’re at it, recommend the good firm of Klafter & Burke to do the tax work.”
Then Burke told Solis, "And then we can certainly talk about a marketing arrangement for you."
Prosecutors alleged that was a promise for kickbacks to be made to Solis. But on tape, Burke said that agreement would have to be above board.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Joe Duffy hammered McDonald on the FBI's tactic of using ruses to try to determine Burke's motivations, telling the jury that what Solis said on tape wasn't true.
"Is it fair to describe that as an act of deception designed to mislead someone?" Duffy asked McDonald on the stand.
"It can be," McDonald replied.
"And so, the information that you’re stimulating is based on false information?" Duffy followed up with.
"Yes," McDonald replied.
Duffy's fellow defense attorney, Chris Gair, also said the case is based on a "pack of lies."
"You directed Mr. Solis to talk with Mr. Burke about?" Duffy continued during another portion of cross-examination.
"The possibility of tax work," McDonald replied.
"That wasn’t true on this day, was it?" Duffy said to McDonald.
"At that time, no it was not," McDonald said to Duffy.
In the end, prosecutors alleged the developers did hire Burke's firm to do property tax appeals, and Burke helped deliver a tax break to the developers worth a reported $100 million.