A quick take on what's happening in local politics, delivered weekday afternoons.
A new chapter has been written in the federal case against Ald. Edward Burke after the Sun-Times reported that one of his allies — Ald. Daniel Solis — recorded conversations between the two. At least one alderman said he'd never do the same and that aldermen might think twice when dealing with their colleagues. So does that mean there's a type of no-snitch code on the City Council? Burke said, once again, that he's done nothing wrong.Speaking of chapters, there are some new revelations about Burke's son and his troubled work history in Cook County government. County Board President Toni Preckwinkle hired him away from the Sheriff Tom Dart's office, where he was under investigation for allegedly making inappropriate sexual comments on the job. And the David vs. Goliath legal battle between the city and food trucks is now in the hands of the state's highest court. Welcome to The Spin. |
 The Sun-Times report that Solis cooperated with federal authorities investigating Burke in the alleged pay-to-play scheme sent fellow members of the Chicago City Council, who gathered Wednesday for its regularly scheduled monthly meeting, into a tailspin. Solis was not at the meeting. Burke was. As the Tribune's John Byrne and Gregory Pratt write: "In a City Council that's no stranger to federal investigations, it was nonetheless stunning for many of Solis' colleagues to hear the powerful chairman of the Zoning Committee was possibly wearing a wire in the federal case against Ald. Edward Burke. They were reacting to a Sun-Times story that said Solis secretly recorded conversations with Burke, who federal authorities charged earlier this month with attempted extortion." Read their story, including Burke's reaction, here. "Solis has not been accused of wrongdoing and previously told the Tribune he wasn't working with federal authorities to try to build cases against any of his council colleagues. He was unable to be reached for comment Wednesday," Byrne and Pratt report. What he said when he called it quits: Solis, who's been in office for two decades, abruptly announced he wouldn't seek re-election in late November just days before the feds raided Burke's City Hall and neighborhood ward offices. Solis, smiling and looking relaxed in a pullover sweater and open-collared shirt, appeared on WTTW's "Chicago Tonight" to talk about his decision. The 69-year-old City Hall veteran said it was time and suggested other long-serving aldermen — specifically Burke — should do the same. It was all very curious at the time. Here's what we wrote then. You can check out the show here. Speaking of Burke: The Fraternal Order of Police lodge that represents Chicago's rank-and-file police officers is backing Burke. And the Tribune's Bill Ruthhart writes: "Embattled Ald. Edward Burke had a message for those writing his political epitaph as he faces a federal corruption charge and a tough re-election fight: he intends to win." That story is here. |   |
 From the Tribune's Pratt: "Ald. Edward Burke's son was under internal investigation for allegedly making inappropriate sexual comments at the sheriff's office when Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle's administration hired him to a nearly $100,000 per year job, newly released records show." Preckwinkle's team says that was news to them. In a statement, Preckwinkle spokeswoman Becky Schlikerman said: "We didn't know there was any investigation" and emphasized that separately elected county officials such as Preckwinkle and Dart "have their own employment process and each maintains their own personnel records." "We do not have access to the personnel files of separately elected officials," Schlikerman said. "Generally, employers are hesitant to provide more in-depth information about former employees because of the potential of litigation alleging defamation and/or slander; especially with respect to prior discipline and open investigations." Preckwinkle vs. Dart: This newest twist could only serve to add fuel to long-simmering tensions between Preckwinkle and Dart, who have jousted over county budget matters, union contracts and even criminal justice reform measures that affect who is released from the jail he oversees. Politics, Part I: A certain number of employees can be hired as what's known as Shakman-exempt — or exempt from the political hiring ban in place at the county. Burke's son was hired into one of those posts in the county's Homeland Security Department, among the departments directly under Preckwinkle's authority. There's nothing illegal about it, but those hires can provide a roadmap of political connections and favor-trading. On Wednesday, Preckwinkle acknowledged that she spoke with Ald. Burke about a job for his son before her administration hired him to a nearly $100,000 per year job. Stay tuned for Greg Pratt's full story at chicagotribune.com | |
 From the Tribune's Mike Riopell: "Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday announced that Illinois will move up to $100 million in investments to banks and credit unions to back low-interest loans for federal workers, joining national Democrats in blaming Republican President Donald Trump for the government shutdown. "The announcement made with Treasurer Mike Frerichs comes as thousands of public employees will soon miss a second paycheck if Trump and congressional Democrats don't reach an agreement to end the shutdown soon." Read the full story here. | |
 From the Tribune's Ryan Ori: "The $6 billion Lincoln Yards development is headed to Thursday's Chicago Plan Commission meeting, after 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins said he supports revised plans for the sprawling North Side site. "Some neighbors and community groups still object to developer Sterling Bay's ambitious proposal for about 55 acres along the east and west sides of the Chicago River. With concerns about traffic congestion, the project's height and density and other issues, they're asking that the zoning process be slowed down." Read the new details here. | |
 Food trucks vs. Chicago case now before state Supreme Court: The Illinois Supreme Court is considering whether city restrictions meant to protect restaurants from their wheeled competitors are unconstitutional, the Tribune's Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz reports. Read the story here. Chicago schools fire 6 workers, block 4 substitute teachers after sexual misconduct investigations: "Six Chicago Public Schools employees have been fired and four substitute teachers blocked from campus as a result of sexual misconduct investigations launched by the CPS inspector general since October, according to new statistics presented to the school district's board Wednesday," the Tribune's Juan Perez Jr. writes. Story here. Judge OKs Ald. Munoz traveling to Indiana for counseling: "Ald. Ricardo Munoz returned to court Wednesday to face a misdemeanor domestic battery charge, winning approval from a judge to travel to Indiana to attend a counseling program," the Tribune's Rosemary Sobol reports. The sky is falling: Providing smart-aleck tweeters with a metaphor for Illinois' finances, State Journal-Register reporter Doug Finke writes that state officials will do "a comprehensive study of the Capitol dome after secretary of state workers noticed small pieces of concrete fell from the inside portion of the outer dome." A secretary of state official said "there is evidence of some leakage occurring in the outer dome, likely from places where the outer metal skin is bolted to the concrete panels. That probably has caused the pieces of concrete to fall. The last time the dome was patched for leaks was in 2000 or 2001," Finke writes. Read the full story here. ldonovan@chicagotribune.com Twitter @byldonovan | |
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