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Roundup: Prosecutors push ’shakedown’ narrative in Burke trial

Wednesday, Dec 6, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Jeff MacDonald, the former regional director of Tri-City Foods, is one of the final prosecution witnesses expected to be called in the Burger King episode, one of four alleged schemes outlined in the racketeering indictment against Burke.

MacDonald, who was in charge in the early stages of the renovation of a Burger King on South Pulaski Road in Burke’s 14th Ward, sent an email to colleagues in 2017 describing Burke as one of the most powerful politicians in the city and warning he was “angry” over complaints about trucks parking overnight and what he perceived was a lack of philanthropy on their part.

“Next to the mayor, Burke is arguably the most powerful politician in Chicago,” MacDonald, wrote. “He has been in office for 48 years … without his signature, we cannot get a permit.”

MacDonald took the witness stand shortly before trial recessed for the day Tuesday. Prosecutors have several more days of testimony to go before resting their case, but the bulk of it deals with separate allegations in the indictment.

* WGN…

After meeting with Burke about the remodeling project, MacDonald sent an email to other executives saying that the alderman would not sign off on the project unless the company agreed to make charitable donations.

MacDonald later described that as a “shakedown.”

Defense attorneys sought to show that the idea of charitable donation was Burke’s way of looking out for the less fortunate in Chicago, not a “shakedown.”

The alleged Burger King scheme also involves Burke’s longtime aide, Peter Andrews, who was present at several of the meetings in question.

* Jon Seidel…

Burke also apparently wanted the owners of the Burger King to be more philanthropic. MacDonald told him "that was out of my pay grade and he would need to speak to the owner."

— Jon Seidel (@SeidelContent) December 6, 2023

* Jason Meisner…

MacDonald said at the close of the meeting, Burke asked if he knew "who does our property tax work?"
What was his response?
"That I didn’t know and that it was probably done out of Houston."
MacDonald said Burke seemed "irritated" and the whole meeting was "uncomfortable"

— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) December 6, 2023

* More…

* Tribune | ‘I was taken aback’: Burger King exec testifies about uneasiness with then-Ald. Ed Burke linking permits with tax firm work: Zohaib Dhanani, a vice president for the company founded by his father, Dhanani Group, was the latest witness to paint Burke as wearing two hats, both as the City Council’s most powerful and longest-serving alderman and as a private lawyer prowling for business for his firm, Klafter & Burke.

* ABC Chicago | Ed Burke trial: New testimony about ties to alleged shakedown involving Burger King restaurant: Dhanani testified he was “taken back a bit” that Burke would mention property tax appeal work and permits in the same sentence. Dhanani told jurors, “It felt unusual. It felt weird, the two being linked together.”

* Crain’s | The ‘unusual’ dealings of Ald. Ed Burke continue in court: Later, on June 27, Burke called his “friend in Houston” to check in. In a recording of that call between Burke and Dhanani obtained by the feds, Dhanani updated the alderman on parking issues at the Burger King. Burke once again brought up his private business. “We were going to talk about the real estate tax representation and you were going to have somebody get in touch with me so we can expedite your permits,” Burke told him, according to the recording played in court today.

* ABC Chicago | Ed Burke trial juror replaced after falling ill, defense allowed to call witness out of order: Monday, a juror fell ill and was dismissed; an alternate took over, which comes on the heels of two COVID-related delays that forced the government to reshuffle its case and witnesses.

13 Comments

- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 1:22 pm:
I’ve been in an uncomfortable meeting with an irritated Ed Burke. I’m sure many people have had similar experiences with him over the years. There was a sort of performance art thing Burke perfected in these meetings, his way of demonstrating to us commoners how important he was, etc., and that we needed to stay in his good graces to get his support for whatever it was we needed. Burke is certainly not the only elected official who played this game, but we was very effective at it.

I am surprised how open he was about connecting his law business with his official duties. I always imagined he was more careful than that, especially since he graduated from one of the finest night law schools on Jackson Boulevard.

Maybe he felt invincible? Maybe he overestimated his abilities? Hubris? Who knows. I don’t think this is a slam dunk for the prosecution, but I think they will be able to convict him based on his own words heard on the tapes. He may not have gotten law business from the Burger King guy, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t try to squeeze it out of him.

- Annie - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 1:33 pm:
What 47th Ward said.

- Tony DeKalb - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 1:45 pm:
In Homer Simpson’s voice: “mmm… Burger King shakedown…”

- Suburban Mom - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 1:54 pm:
===There was a sort of performance art thing Burke perfected in these meetings===

I used to deal with an elected official who did very similar to Burke, and whenever he got rolling into his performance-art monologue, I would announce I had to go pump breastmilk.

Men over 60 are extremely unprepared to hear this sentence. Derailed the performance every time.

(Not a generally-applicable strategy, I know, but I thought it might make some of you laugh.)

- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 1:54 pm:
MacDonald representing Burger King … this story has everything

- H-W - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 2:05 pm:
@ Michelle Flaherty

Exactly. Can we really trust MacDonald to tell the whole truth about Burger King? /s

- JoanP - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 2:10 pm:
@Suburban Mom -

absolutely brilliant strategy!

- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 2:18 pm:
Burke should hire a lawyer named Wendy

- Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 4:19 pm:
DuPage Saint, we all need this headline: “Burke lawyer Wendy gives frosty reception to MacDonald’s Burger King claims”

- JoanP - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 4:33 pm:
@ Michelle Flaherty -

I’m trying to find a way to fit White Castle into this narrative.

- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 4:35 pm:
===a way to fit White Castle===

Defendants look like they’ll be sliding to prison?

All I got. Or maybe something to do with BIPA.

- Baloneymous - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 4:38 pm:
Luckily, I only had to deal with Ed Burke once. It was in 1994 at an event and I was running the check-in table. He is a nasty old man and that was almost 30 years ago. I’ve never once heard anyone say anything nice about him. I hope he’s found guilty and he has to pay for all of his crimes and corruption for just once in his life. He’s as mean, corrupt, pompous, arrogant, and self-serving as they come. He thought he was a crown prince and now he’s sitting on trial at almost 80 years old.

- Torco Sign - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 5:09 pm:
Good thing this won’t go in front of the Illinois Supreme Court — it would get awkward considering Rochford has been friends with Ed Burke since childhood.

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