* Fran Spielman and Jon Seidel with the bombshell scoop…
Retiring Ald. Danny Solis (25th), the powerful chairman of the City Council’s Zoning Committee, has secretly recorded more than a dozen conversations with Ald. Ed Burke (14th) over the last two years, including at City Hall, to help federal investigators build their corruption case against him, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
Those conversations include Burke meeting with individuals seeking actions by the city, a source familiar with the matter said. […]
Solis’ cooperation is extraordinary, not only because the target was Burke but because Solis was a trusted ally of both Burke and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Solis’ position as Zoning Committee chairman gave him the influence and standing to arrange for meetings where Burke could pitch potential clients.
In late November, Solis surprised his colleagues by announcing that he would not seek re-election, ending a 23-year career in the City Council that began with his 1996 appointment by then-Mayor Richard M. Daley to replace the disgraced and convicted Ambrosio Medrano.
Now that his role as an FBI mole has been exposed, Solis is prepared to resign immediately and start taking his aldermanic pension, the source said.
Go read the whole thing.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:34 am:
I wonder what motivated Solis to cooperate with the FBI? Can’t wait to find out more about this.
- Astro - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:35 am:
Ruh-row.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:38 am:
So Solis wore a wire on Burke (others?) for two years and the feds tapped Burke’s phone for at least eight months.
That’s a lot of chit-chat.
- Perrid - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:38 am:
So there’s like a 99% chance Solis got caught doing something, and flipped to save his own skin. I wonder if that will ever come to light.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:38 am:
This is fascinating! Kinda full circle, Solis wears wire to get Burke charged, after Solis replaced a convicted Alderman who wouldn’t roll on others.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:38 am:
What’s on Scorsese’s plate after The Irishman?
- Steve - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:38 am:
This is quite a giant story. So, what we know now is: the FBI has Chicago’s Zoning Chairman and Chicago’s Finance Committee Chairman on a wire. Those are the two most powerful city council jobs in Chicago. A logical deduction is more Aldermen will probably be implicated. This could be as big as Greylord or Gambat.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:41 am:
Most likely Ald. Solis was ensnared himself. Have to wait and see, but the Feds would have to disclose that eventually.
- Roman - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:43 am:
We now know a little more about why the feds already had a warrant to listen to Burke’s cell phone before the alleged Burger King shakedown developed.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:44 am:
Looks like hugs are going to be back in vogue when greeting and talking to allies, friends and colleagues at city hall…
#AlderMole
- Father Ted - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:46 am:
Lots of people are nervously drinking their coffee this morning, thinking about what they may have said to whom- and who else was listening.
Agreed that they probably had ensnared Solis on something. Seems unlikely he’d wear a wire out of a sense of honor and duty but I will reserve judgement and wait for the story to come out… if it ever does.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:47 am:
OW, now. Now is the time to ramp up those Goodfellas and Godfather quotes you’re famous for. Never more appropriate. Wonder if there was any moment where Solis greeted Burke…with a kiss?
- Colin O'Scopy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:47 am:
=Looks like hugs are going to be back in vogue when greeting and talking to allies, friends and colleagues at city hall…=
It’s either that or future City Hall council meetings will be held in the steam room at the East bank Club.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:48 am:
I knew this Whopper was more than the Whopper it started as…
- NIU Grad - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:50 am:
“Now that his role as an FBI mole has been exposed, Solis is prepared to resign immediately”
No good deed goes unpunished, or did they have some serious dirt on him?
- Steve - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:51 am:
This is drip, drip , drip. Right before a Chicago election.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:51 am:
If the Feds want to use the evidence collected by Solis or his testimony against Burke, they will have to disclose what they gave him in return, if anything. Defense would be entitled to it.
- Tobor - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:51 am:
Who do you trust.
- Chicago Native - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:52 am:
So much to discuss, who else is on the tapes, lobbyist, staff, Mayoral Candidates. Solis really didnt need to make the comments after Burke was contacted by the Feds, the low class moment is certainly this excerpt:
“I think Ald. Burke should reconsider [re-election],” Solis said then.
“You got money, you got a great family, you got grandkids. Why do you want to run?”
Now, a remark that appeared to be a verbal knife in the back to a longtime colleague starts to make sense, given Solis’ role in the Burke case.
- dying HDO - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:54 am:
I wonder if Solis forwarded any judicial recommendations to Burke in the last 2 years.
How awesome would that be????
- 19 ward guy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:55 am:
Yikes. Still can’t figure out who this hurts/helps in the Mayor’s race. Toni seems to be big loser so far.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:56 am:
Solis had some roll to him. I think a reference to a Sopranos character whose name I can’t say here would capture the reality the best.
- Perrid - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:58 am:
@19th ward guy, most everybody has some connection to Burke, apparently. Toni and Mendoza especially. I didn’t know Mendoza got married at Burke’s house, the were evidently very close. Not good for either of them.
- Steve - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:59 am:
In other Toni Preckwinkle/ Ed Burke/ Ed Burke Jr. news….
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-preckwinkle-edward-burke-jr-job-20190118-story.html
- "Old Timer Dem" - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:00 am:
No big surprise. There have been whispers about Solis for years.
- City Zen - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:05 am:
That’s fine for the papers, but I got a family to feed. The city don’t pay my salary. Danny, we go back a long way. I need this zoning change. I don’t get it, I go under. That’s a fact. (hands Solis a box)
Now you just have some of this fine pie my missus baked specially for you, and you think about that.
- wondering - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:07 am:
The light you see coming from South of I80 are from broadtooth grins…just when we thought the rubes would cave.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:07 am:
@fspielman - Fellow aldermen shocked and betrayed to learn Danny Solis was wired up. Ald. Michelle Harris says CC is “like a family”. Unsaid: Solis took sides against the family.
Never take sides against the family.
Here’s the “ting”
You can be “dirty”, you can be an informant against contractors, business associates, even family and friends… but turning on colleagues and that “ting of dares”… thats the lowest of low, considering the “guys down the street” make their bones by first going after… aldermen.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:09 am:
Steve - this is more..
Waterfall, avalanche, tsunami…
Same principle, but still.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:15 am:
–The light you see coming from South of I80 are from broadtooth grins…just when we thought the rubes would cave.–
Cave on what?
No history of corruption South of I-80? You must lead a blissful existence.
- Steve - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:16 am:
Some politicians retired recently to spend more time with their family….
- Robert Lincoln - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:17 am:
Interesting that Alderman are OK with a code of silence in their own backyard, but…
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:23 am:
I’m glad Solis outed Burke’s corruption. But Aldermen should not get pensions.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:24 am:
== Some politicians retired recently to spend more time with their family…. ==
And some more may do so in the near future.
- Steve - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:26 am:
- Anonymous -
You are correct. It’s not a drip when you are starting at the top of the food chain.
- northshore cynic - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:28 am:
can’t wait to see the movie….or read the book!!
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:34 am:
So great that this is a Federal investigation outside of the purview of the judges slated by Speaker Madigan and Ed Burke for the past 3 decades.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-judges-madigan-take2-20110415-story.html
- OhBoy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:39 am:
I hope Mendoza and Prekwinkle are on those recordings. They are just as corrupt as Burke and need to go.
- Keyrock - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:39 am:
There were likely several reasons the G proceeded by complaint instead of indictment. First, they wanted to disclose that they had Burke, and the contribution to Toni, before the election. Second, they didn’t want to immediately outline everything that they had on Burke. Third they wanted to tickle conversations on any outstanding wires or with any cooperators. Leaving friends and acquaintances of Burke to guess what else they had, and providing them encouragement to come in for a chat with the FBI, was a fourth reason.
Likely much more news ahead. So far, it looks like a very good investigation.
- Real - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:42 am:
Interesting that Alderman are OK with a code of silence in their own backyard, but…
But they aren’t killing people.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 11:05 am:
well, no more need to ask Who is the Mole? 25th Ward dark hole. and more on Toni….Preckwinkle can’t do research on a hire cause they are in another elected’s employ? seriously? Kim Foxx signs the employment ok. what a bunch of awful.
- a drop in - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 11:06 am:
The next mayor may get to appoint a few alderman if this spreads.
- jeffinginChicago - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 11:09 am:
So nobody thinks Ald Solis was just an honest guy working on behalf of the taxpayer to root out corruption? Can the US Atty announce before the election, who is not a target? That would be history repeating itself not just rhyming.
- Keyrock - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 11:14 am:
jeffinginChicago - John Lausch is more honest than that. Let’s hope that long-ago fib is never repeated.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 11:30 am:
Witness Protection may need to find a cul-de-sac in space for this cat.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 11:46 am:
What is simply hard to comprehend is how these folks never learn? How many fed stings n the alderman now? Seems like low hanging fruit for the feds.
Need an easy win? Investigate the city council. That is how bad their rep is.
- Fav Human - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 11:55 am:
“There have been whispers about Solis for years.”
I would think that the number of aldermen that don’t have whispering about them can be counted on one hand. Even if the hand is missing a finger or two!
- PublicServant - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:01 pm:
Fredo, you’re nothing to me now. You’re not a brother, you’re not a friend. I don’t want to know you or what you do. I don’t want to see you at the hotels, I don’t want you near my house. When you see our mother, I want to know a day in advance, so I won’t be there. You understand?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:02 pm:
Mendoza not going to come out of this looking good.
- cdog - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:06 pm:
I find this all fascinating and hope for Solis to find solace, as he’s obviously had enough of something.
Anybody have an account on pacer. gov and have access to federal sealed indictment counts?
Lots of sealed indictments in Illinois and around the country. Might not be a good time to be a bad person.
- Henry Francis - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:07 pm:
One would think with recording Burke as long as they did, they could very well have enough to put him away for the rest of his life (especially given his age).
One would think Burke has tons of dirt on others that he could perhaps trade to lighten his sentence.
Any chance Burke, former policeman and husband to a Supreme Court judge, any chance he “rats”?
- Water is wet - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:10 pm:
@JS Mill
It isn’t that they are fools or that their reputation is just bad, the system that they operate in basically guarantees results like this. 50 islands unto themselves gifted with aldermanic prerogative. This is bound to keep happening.
- Keyrock - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:12 pm:
Difficult as it is to type this, Bill Daley is right. The number of aldermen needs to be cut from 50 to 15 or fewer.
- Minnie Pearl Jam - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:18 pm:
Keyrock:
Bill Daley’s plan to reduce the number of aldermen from 50 to 15 appears to be in process, care of 219 South Dearborn.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:20 pm:
==I hope Mendoza and Preckwinkle are on those recordings.==
Why do you hope that? The public will know eventually, one way or another.
==They are just as corrupt as Burke and need to go.==
What have you found out? In what ways are they corrupt?
- Sue - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:28 pm:
The issue isn’t the number of alderman- the issue lies with the zoning approval authority. It is a huge source of corruption and campaign finance issues. Take the zoning authority away and you greatly lessen corruption opportunities
- Practical Politics - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:29 pm:
Surprising developments. Burke took a second hit (as did Preckwinkle and Foxx who approved the hiring of Burke, Jr.) when the headlines exposed the employment difficulties of another of his adult children.
As a powerful couple (an attorney and a judge), it has always amazed me that the Burke’s children always required clout calls to secure political patronage jobs.
- Flapdoodle - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:44 pm:
==Who do you trust==
Nobody, no way, not ever . . .
- Colin O'Scopy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:45 pm:
=Any chance Burke, former policeman and husband to a Supreme Court judge, any chance he “rats”?=
On who? You don’t get much bigger fish than Burke.
- Suburbanon - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:46 pm:
I think the trick to avoid prosecution is to make the threats and extortion in public. Wasn’t a North side alderman videotaped by news cameras threatening a building owner outside the owner’s property? No one has laid a “criminal” charge on him. “Just politics”
- Mimi - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:57 pm:
The question is what do the feds have on Solis.
- Groucho - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 12:58 pm:
Reducing the number of Aldermen from 50 to 15 may sound like a great idea because some equate less alderman with less wheeling and dealing, which may not actually be true. But I feel certain that it will mean less influence for citizens over their representation in City Hall. For example, the LGBT community has great influence over their alderman in the 44th Ward, because they are a significantly sized group within the 55,000 residents of that ward, so the Alderman needs to listen (I know he is also LGBT). But let’s say that when the maps are redrawn and and the area of the new super wards now contains 180,000 people. The LGBT population may no longer represent a significant portion of their new ward, and thus, have much less influence. I wonder who really wins with less Aldermen?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 1:00 pm:
Keyrock is absolutely right. Chicago need to reduce the size of the City Council. These petty fiefdoms just breed corruption. No more than 15 are needed. Ten would be ideal.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 1:01 pm:
Plus the added bonus of less payroll costs .
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 1:02 pm:
===No more than 15 are needed. Ten would be ideal.===
Great. Now you just need 26 votes to pass it.
- Sue - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 1:06 pm:
Willing to bet that Solis has already signed a coop agreement and maybe a plea deal on whatever the Govt had. No one volunteers to become an informant absent having their own problem
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 1:09 pm:
Great point 47th, as with most of Illinois’, it’s about government for government, not the people. A complete disgrace.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 1:10 pm:
Quick reminder that NYC has 51 council members and 8,600,000 people. Chicago has 50 council members and 2,700,000 people.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 1:11 pm:
Practical Politics @ 12:29. It’s actually an all too common story. Some children of high powered people, in government or business, just can’t live up to the shadow of their parents. Whether it’s a sense of entitlement from growing up in a powerful family or something else, it seems to happen a lot. In government especially if seems having a powerful ancestor equals lifetime employment for the descendants. Now some are very capable in their own right, but some certainly are not.
- Keyrock - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 1:47 pm:
The local government provisions of the state constitution suggest that s referendum may be able [and possible required] to change the size of the Chicago City Council. It’s also not clear to me whether the General Assembly has the power to change the size by state statute.
Does anyone here know the answer?
- Water is wet - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 2:09 pm:
@Groucho
You have a point, but whats the underlying guiding principle? Your argument could just as easily be used to justify having 150 alderman. Why is the current 50 a good number to settle on, especially when it leads to a City Council that doesn’t tend to act as a co-equal branch of city government (instead they tend to act as sub-mayors of their hamlets), and isn’t generally held to account on that because of the ability of individual members to hide amongst the crowd?
- A guy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 2:34 pm:
Irony:
Justice Burke and Patti B. writing the same kinds of letters to the President. Hmm
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 2:36 pm:
I guess Sneed can still call Alderman Burke ageless…
… but he’s not “priceless”.
Stay tuned
- revvedup - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 3:11 pm:
Points to ponder:
1) What if Solis wore a wire because he has a rare condition for a Chicago alderperson called “integrity”?
2) Burke will sing like a canary to avoid jail, even selling lesser fish down the river. He won’t care who he squeals on. And the little fish know it.
3) “There’s no corruption in Chicago politics”. Signed, Al Capone
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 3:15 pm:
===even selling lesser fish down the river===
Them days is over. You don’t wiretap a guy for 8 months and flip another powerful alderman to catch little fishies.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 3:17 pm:
===1) What if Solis wore a wire because he has a rare condition for a Chicago alderperson called “integrity”?===
Let’s look at this, and it could be true, I’m not in any position to claim anything on Mr. Solis, nor can I even think to speculate about it.
But, here’s the rub, if you are taking the “white knight” option as Mr. Solis’ intent;
In no way could Mr. Solis ever be an alderman or elected official in Chicago. You break trust, even for legal or honorable means, you’re “over”, it’s over.
Also, did Mr. Solis head “down the street” and volunteer? Was Mr. Solis approached, under your presumption, because he is a “white knight” willing to take down corruption… now? After all these years, either option, now is that time?
Last, Mr. Solis is a clean actor in this… so clean Ald. Burke will speak freely about possible illegal acts?
- wondering - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 3:45 pm:
Now wordslinger, there you go again. Try not to be overwhelmed by what some see as your reputation. I did not say there was no corruption South of 80…in case your smugness caused you to miss it my point was South of 80 will, sadly, gloat. Anti Chicago will be galvenized by this. I wish it were not true, but, what the hey, I wish you would show some humility.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 6:11 pm:
==my point was South of 80 will, sadly, gloat.==
Why do you say that? Based on what?
- wondering - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 7:34 pm:
Wolf, have you been awake for the last 4 years. Are you unaware of the anti Chicago attitude toward Chicago
on the part of downstaters? Or are you blinded by sycophancy to wordslinger,
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:24 pm:
Wondering, if someone is antiChicago, Burke’s legal problems won’t move the needle, will it?
- Keyrock - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 9:56 pm:
More details of search warrant from Tim Novak.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/?post_type=cst_article&p=1646026
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 10:40 pm:
===even selling lesser fish down the river===
Meh, if they wanted to squeeze Burke to make him point out where all the bodies are buried, the federales wouldn’t have gone so public in raiding his offices.
And I’m saying that as one who believes Burke has certainly cooperated with the feds in the past, specifically, in the wake of Haunted Hall.
Burke was in the barrel after Martinez flipped, but the feds never laid a glove on him.
But in the years to come, a lot of other City Hall types started going down. Hired Truck and the Duffs, with those deep dives into the city hall books on subcontractors, come to mind.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 23, 19 @ 11:37 pm:
For those interested in Burke and how he got here, I highly suggest the interviews he gave the UIC Daley Oral History Project.
Some of the others are informative, some not so much, but Burke’s are pretty rich in painting the world that he came up in.
https://rjd.library.uic.edu/biographies/oral-history-contributors/