Ed Burke Wants Trump Tower Legal Work Shielded from Trial

Former 14th Ward Alderman Edward Burke, who is facing federal corruption charges, wants to prevent any mention of his involvement in securing property tax breaks for Donald Trump’s Chicago skyscraper during his upcoming trial.

Burke’s lawyers argue that bringing up his legal work for Trump could bias the jury, as they could have an unfavorable view of the former president, thus leading to an unfair trial, the Chicago Tribune reported, citing statements from the attorneys that Trump is ““despised by a significant percentage of the population.”

The federal charges against Burke are centered on his alleged misuse of his City Hall position to steer business toward his law firm, Klafter & Burke. While the indictment doesn’t explicitly mention the Trump Tower, Burke’s efforts on its behalf are under scrutiny.

Prosecutors, however, have not expressed any intent to discuss Burke’s work for Trump during the trial, set to begin on November 6th at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago.

Separately, a civil trial against Donald Trump has begun in New York. Trump faces accusations of inflating property values to secure favorable loans and undervaluing properties to reduce tax liabilities, with the Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago cited as an example.

Burke also aims to exclude secret recordings from his trial, including conversations with former Alderman Danny Solis and former city planning commissioner David Reifman. Burke’s legal team contends that these recordings do not pertain to the alleged crimes and are intended solely to portray Burke negatively, the newspaper reported.

Furthermore, Burke’s lawyers have moved to bar details from former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s case, as well as information related to Democratic political operative Victor Reyes. Both Madigan — who remains the subject of a separate federal criminal investigation and is set to stand trial in April — and Reyes have faced legal issues related to their respective roles in politics.

Burke, along with his aide Peter Andrews and developer Charles Cui, pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges. The trial is expected to last approximately one month and be presided over by U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall.

— Quinn Donoghue