Indicted Chicago developer made big profit on city deal

Three years ago, City Hall approved giving $5.3 million in taxpayer funding to a labor organization so it could buy land from a client of Ald. Edward M. Burke's law firm.

Burke (14th) was among 49 aldermen who approved the deal that allowed the Chicago Construction and General Laborers' Council to buy the 24-acre site from since-indicted Chicago developer Calvin Boender.

Boender made a 37 percent profit on the land, which he had owned for about six years, city records show.

Here’s how Burke earned the moniker “The Bishop”
When Burke was in his heyday he would enter city hall from the LaSalle street entrance which could allow a limo easily where the Clark street side didn’t.
As The limo pulled up two flunkys would jump out. One to open the passenger door and the other to hold the door to city hall open, When everybody was set up Burke made his salutory entrance.

As he made his grand entrance the one flunky would be on his right side, the other on his left, but both walking slightly behind him. Kinda like what the queen of England’s husband does on state occasions.

Burke would then stroll forward in the corridor stopping ocasionally to very briefly chat with a city hall retainer and then continue to move on waving his hi-ya hand right and left as he proceeded to his destination.

He reminded those whoever wittnessed the Catholic ceremony of Confirmation like a bishop after entering a church and the procession down the aisle with the bishop bestowing his blessings upon the congregation on his way to the altar ...ljk biog
http://www.theusmat.com
.,

~~~Chicago Way ............. PING!

“•• Burke, who’s chairman of the City Council Finance Committee. The city’s most powerful alderman, Burke also heads a law firm that has represented Boender in 14 property-tax appeal cases since 2005, a relationship the Chicago Sun-Times disclosed last week. Five of those cases were filed this year, and Burke won reductions for Boender on three of those properties.

In March 2007, Boender hosted a campaign fund-raiser for Burke’s wife, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke, raising $58,250. Burke’s wife says she has refunded some of that money and has given the rest to charity.”

*snip*

“Ald. William Banks (36th), chairman of the City Council’s Zoning Committee. Banks’ nephew James Banks is the zoning attorney Boender hired to win city approval to build homes on the former industrial property. The alderman abstained from voting on Boender’s zoning case — Banks never votes on any cases handled by his nephew — but Banks did vote to give the laborers money to buy Boender’s land.

• • Ald. Emma Mitts (37th), a protege of Carothers. Her ward also includes part of the Galewood Yards project, which she strongly supported.

When the City Council voted 49-0 to give the laborers council the money to buy Boender’s land, 10 of those aldermen had gotten campaign contributions from Boender — including Carothers, Burke, Banks and Mitts. The others: Walter Burnett (27th), Ted Matlak (32nd), Ricardo Munoz (22nd), Burton Natarus (42nd), Billy Ocasio (26th) and Ed Smith (28th). Matlak, Natarus and Ocasio no longer are aldermen.

Carothers, according to court records unsealed in May, wore a wire for federal authorities for more than a year to record conversations with developers and public officials. Carothers has pleaded not guilty in the case, though his lawyer has not ruled out a guilty plea later on.”

~~~

The Chicago Swamp .. putrid beyond belief.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.