Feds raid office of Chicago-based attorney who did tax work for Trump

[mystery-ak]

Feds raid office of Chicago-based attorney who did tax work for Trump
by Dominick Mastrangelo
 | November 29, 2018 02:16 PM



Federal agents raided the office of a Chicago City Hall official and former tax attorney for President Trump on Thursday, according to local media reports.

The FBI showed up at the Chicago offices of Ald. Ed Burke, removed all people, and papered over the windows, the Chicago-Sun Times reports.

The purpose of the raid was not immediately clear.

Burke, a Democrat and the current Finance Committee chairman for the City Council in Chicago, was defeated in a recent election following political attacks regarding his property tax appeal work for Trump and the president’s properties in the city.

Illinois state Rep. Dan Burke, Ed’s brother, told the Sun-Times he was shocked by the news of the raid.

“I don’t have a clue. Any time there is this type of thing, where they come in and paper your windows, certainly that’s a concern,” Dan Burke said. “But I know my brother. For his entire life and career he’s been abiding by the law.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/feds-raid-office-of-chicago-based-attorney-who-did-tax-work-for-trump

[XenaLee]

Just further truth of the "Get Trump any way we can" witch-hunt that's been ongoing for two years now.  I expect they'll still be after Trump waay past his term of presidency.  Just cuz they can.

Which also further illustrates how we are already a banana republic when it comes to the two-tier justice "system" we already have.  Dems skate justice, Reps pay for stuff they never did.  About time we, the people, stop this BS.  If we don't... it's only going to get much, MUCH worse.  And probably at the worst possible time.

[Right_in_Virginia]

[Right_in_Virginia]

Feds show up at former Trump tax attorney Ed Burke's office, block off windows with brown paper
WKBW.com, Nov 29, 2018

CHICAGO — Brown paper covered the windows of Ed Burke's office at Chicago City Hall on Thursday after federal agents showed up there.

Burke, who is the City Council Finance Committee chairman in Chicago, once served as President Donald Trump's property tax attorney, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Klafter & Burke, his firm, has often sought to reduce the property taxes Trump Tower and other commercial properties have to pay.

The visit from federal agents was unannounced, and it has not been said why they might be there. Upon their arrival, everyone in the office was asked to leave, witnesses told WLS television station in Chicago.

Burke has served on Chicago's city council since 1969.

https://www.wkbw.com/news/national/feds-show-up-at-former-trump-tax-attorney-ed-burkes-office-block-off-windows-with-brown-paper

[Right_in_Virginia]

Upon their arrival, everyone in the office was asked to leave, witnesses told WLS television station in Chicago.

Where the hell in a warrant does it say they have the right to "ask" everyone to leave and paper over the glass doors?

What the hell was going on there?

Mueller couldn't get what he wanted out of Trump's attorney Cohen, so now Mueller is moving down the pecking order to another former Trump lawyer, trying to squeeze him for an incriminating statement against President Trump.

This should scare the hell out of all of us.

[Frank Cannon]

Sounds to me that since this is Chicago and he was some sort of official there this has to do with the blatant and regular criminal activity in the city.

[Frank Cannon]

Where the hell in a warrant does it say they have the right to "ask" everyone to leave and paper over the glass doors?

It is fairly shady. It could be argued in court that the Feds were planting evidence.

[Wingnut]

If it is Chicago you know it was a Rat judge who granted the bogus S.W.

[Right_in_Virginia]

REPORT: Mueller Panicked Over Abuse Of Power Allegations
DC Whispers, Nov 28, 2018

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has overseen a nearly two-year-long investigation that has cost tens of millions of dollars and has produced little to no proof of any actual collusion between the then Trump campaign and Russia. Instead, Mueller has filed silly charges against a handful of Russians who bought some Facebook ads, another charge against a secondary Trump campaign affiliate for lying to the FBI, and most notably, gone back a decade to file charges against short-term Trump campaign manager, Paul Manafort, on bank and tax fraud—none of which relates to the current Trump-Russia collusion investigation.

It is the Manafort case that has since created growing whispers of abuse of power by Mr. Mueller as he is said to have become increasingly aggressive in trying to get people to lie in order to set the stage for a full on attack against President Trump.

Via The Boston Globe:

Read more at http://dcwhispers.com/report-mueller-panicked-over-abuse-of-power-allegations/#vy0CS4LJdTlQRZLJ.99

[Right_in_Virginia]

It is fairly shady. It could be argued in court that the Feds were planting evidence.

Absolutely ..... and at this point, I wouldn't doubt it.

[Right_in_Virginia]

The purpose of the raid was not immediately clear.

A plea deal for Burke offering up "evidence" on the President.

[Oceander]

Where the hell in a warrant does it say they have the right to "ask" everyone to leave and paper over the glass doors?

What the hell was going on there?

Mueller couldn't get what he wanted out of Trump's attorney Cohen, so now Mueller is moving down the pecking order to another former Trump lawyer, trying to squeeze him for an incriminating statement against President Trump.

This should scare the hell out of all of us.

Have you seen the warrant?  Then you don’t know what was in it or what it authorized. 

[DB]

A lot of assumptions here with little information.

The guy they raided is a machine Democrat head honcho that is deeply embedded in Chicago corruption/politics. There are lots of reasons the FBI could be raiding his office.

Is it possible that Cohen told the FBI where to look? Perhaps, but we really know zip about what this is about at this point.

[Oceander]

A lot of assumptions here with little information.

The guy they raided is a machine Democrat head honcho that is deeply embedded in Chicago corruption/politics. There are lots of reasons the FBI could be raiding his office.

Is it possible that Cohen told the FBI where to look? Perhaps, but we really know zip about what this is about at this point.

Exactly.  It sounds like this guy has been under investigation by the feds before as well. 

[DB]

Where the hell in a warrant does it say they have the right to "ask" everyone to leave and paper over the glass doors?

What the hell was going on there?

Mueller couldn't get what he wanted out of Trump's attorney Cohen, so now Mueller is moving down the pecking order to another former Trump lawyer, trying to squeeze him for an incriminating statement against President Trump.

This should scare the hell out of all of us.

A whole lot of assumptions based on no evidence. Electronic evidence can be destroyed quickly if people are allowed to linger in the same area. This sound like FBI SOP to me.

[DB]

Exactly.  It sounds like this guy has been under investigation by the feds before as well.

Let's just say it isn't his first FBI raid...

[Right_in_Virginia]

A whole lot of assumptions based on no evidence. Electronic evidence can be destroyed quickly if people are allowed to linger in the same area. This sound like FBI SOP to me.

They cover the windows and doors, too, as part of their SOP?

[DB]

They cover the windows and doors, too, as part of their SOP?

If it is a potential crime scene, yes.

[Wingnut]

If it is a potential crime scene, yes.

They got Trump now.  No doubt about it.

[corbe]

 

[Right_in_Virginia]

Have you seen the warrant?  Then you don’t know what was in it or what it authorized.

Neither do you.  And you must admit this is not SOP...what judge do you know authorizes a search of paper and computer discs in a complete blackout?

[Right_in_Virginia]

If it is a potential crime scene, yes.

The feds cover the windows and doors for a potential white collar crime with the evidence loaded on paper and computers??  Seriously, this is what you're asking me to believe?

[Oceander]

Neither do you.  And you must admit this is not SOP...what judge do you know authorizes a search of paper and computer discs in a complete blackout?

I have no idea what’s SOP, but I find it insanely difficult to believe that this was done so they could plant evidence.  Please.  Call attention to themselves in exactly that way? 

For one thing, that office is probably on a hallway with a number of other offices, and is probably accessible by the public.  The last thing anybody needs, including the other tenants in the building, is a tidal wave of the curious and the sight-seers flooding into the building to see what they can see. 

[Right_in_Virginia]

I have no idea what’s SOP, but I find it insanely difficult to believe that this was done so they could plant evidence.  Please.  Call attention to themselves in exactly that way? 

For one thing, that office is probably on a hallway with a number of other offices, and is probably accessible by the public.  The last thing anybody needs, including the other tenants in the building, is a tidal wave of the curious and the sight-seers flooding into the building to see what they can see.

This is similar to storming Manafort's home in the early hours of the morning.  It is designed to intimidate---drastically and dramatically.  THESE are storm trooper tactics and they should alarm all of us.  Please, stop trying to defend or explain them.  You're better than this.

And this is the man and actions our Congress wants to protect by law. This is chilling.

As to planting evidence ... who would know?  We'd have no choice but to believe the ones who planted it.  They would win this automatically so it's moot at this point.

[corbe]

    If I'm not mistaken there is no proof that this has anything to do with Trump. Chicago is as corrupt as it gets, could be another City Councilman investigation.

[Oceander]

This is similar to storming Manafort's home in the early hours of the morning.  It is designed to intimidate---drastically and dramatically.  THESE are storm trooper tactics and they should alarm all of us.  Please, stop trying to defend or explain them.  You're better than this.

And this is the man and actions our Congress wants to protect by law. This is chilling.

As to planting evidence ... who would know?  We'd have no choice but to believe the ones who planted it.  They would win this automatically so it's moot at this point.

Nonsense.  This is nothing similar to storming an individual’s private residence at 6 in the morning. 

And you have no idea if this is even remotely related to Trump.  The fact is, this guys firm was big in property tax contesting in Chicago, so assuming they were good, other developers would have used them as well.

He’s a Chicago pol with a shady past - he’s part of the Democrat party machine - and this is much more likely to relate to corruption of his own, not to Trump. 

You’re letting yourself get bamboozled by the people who desperately want to find something bad on Trump.  There’s no need to go there yet with this guy.  Wait to see how it plays out.

[Sanguine]

    If I'm not mistaken there is no proof that this has anything to do with Trump. Chicago is as corrupt as it gets, could be another City Councilman investigation.

EVERYTHING is about Trump.  Seems like anyway.

[corbe]

   The Trumpers jumping in early to defend is not a good sign @Sanguine

[Right_in_Virginia]

Nonsense.  This is nothing similar to storming an individual’s private residence at 6 in the morning. 

And you have no idea if this is even remotely related to Trump.  The fact is, this guys firm was big in property tax contesting in Chicago, so assuming they were good, other developers would have used them as well.

He’s a Chicago pol with a shady past - he’s part of the Democrat party machine - and this is much more likely to relate to corruption of his own, not to Trump. 

You’re letting yourself get bamboozled by the people who desperately want to find something bad on Trump.  There’s no need to go there yet with this guy.  Wait to see how it plays out.

Well, I guess I've misread your posts through the years.  Apparently, you do prefer to defend these tactics.

Very disappointing.

[corbe]

    @Oceander It's not lost on me that you've been catching a lot of $hit here, lately. 
    Keep the Faith, your not half as liberal as they make you out to be. 

[Oceander]

Well, I guess I've misread your posts through the years.  Apparently, you do prefer to defend these tactics.

Very disappointing.

What tactics?  Entering a business office that is open to the public during normal hours, presenting a presumably signed warrant to seize the entire contents of the office, shooing everyone out so the evidence cannot be destroyed, and then putting up brown paper on the windows to ward off gawkers, and most likely to also preserve the privacy of the owners of that office from nosy neighbors?

Those tactics?   I’m sorry, but I’m not sure I see the problem with that.  Perhaps you can explain why this is tantamount to rousting an old man out of bed at 6 in the morning with a swat team and guns drawn.

[edpc]

This is similar to storming Manafort's home in the early hours of the morning.  It is designed to intimidate---drastically and dramatically.  THESE are storm trooper tactics and they should alarm all of us.  Please, stop trying to defend or explain them.  You're better than this.

That’s some nice revisionist history. We now now Manafort had incriminating documents at his home, like emails and altered PDF files, inflating his income.  He was lying about his complete cooperation with the prosecutors and they knew it.  Many of his financial irregularities had already been investigated in 2014.

[XenaLee]

I have no idea what’s SOP, but I find it insanely difficult to believe that this was done so they could plant evidence.  Please.  Call attention to themselves in exactly that way? 

For one thing, that office is probably on a hallway with a number of other offices, and is probably accessible by the public.  The last thing anybody needs, including the other tenants in the building, is a tidal wave of the curious and the sight-seers flooding into the building to see what they can see.

Funny (odd) that.... as long as I have lived... I have never heard of another case or incident where the Feds papered over the windows/doors of another office like that.  One would think if it was ""standard procedure"" .... we would have heard of at least one other occurrence.   

[edpc]

Funny (odd) that.... as long as I have lived... I have never heard of another case or incident where the Feds papered over the windows/doors of another office like that.  One would think if it was ""standard procedure"" .... we would have heard of at least one other occurrence.   

The most likely explanation is they were looking for something specific and had received information about it. Everyone has a camera and video recorder on their cell these days. The agents were probably protecting their methods/sources for the evidence. If they had bugged the office, phones, and computers, they wouldn’t want the general public to see the devices and locations.

[XenaLee]

The most likely explanation is they were looking for something specific and had received information about it. Everyone has a camera and video recorder on their cell these days. The agents were probably protecting their methods/sources for the evidence. If they had bugged the office, phones, and computers, they wouldn’t want the general public to see the devices and locations.

Exactly.  They had something to hide in that raid... which is pretty much what we've come to expect from the "feds" post-Obamanation.   America has been (probably fatally) infected.

One point someone made on this is... how come there was no particular agency involved.  No FBI or IRS identified agents.  Just plain-clothes agents show up.  Is that normal?  I didn't think so.  But then... nothing IS normal now in this nu Amerika.   Things are happening here that previously only happened under commie dictator or banana republic conditions.  It's almost as if Hillary/Evita had actually won.   

[LadyLiberty]

I can find other examples online where windows were covered during an FBI raid.  They seem to be businesses that have uncovered windows, like storefronts, where there are no blinds that can simply be closed. 

Example: 

http://www.startribune.com/irs-fbi-agents-raid-stillwater-mayor-s-accounting-business/251231601/

IRS, FBI agents raid Stillwater mayor's business

"The IRS, the FBI and another agency searched the accounting business, but what they were searching for was not disclosed. "

...........

"Cardboard covered the windows of the office as agents worked throughout the morning. Nevertheless, several agents wearing rubber gloves could be seen inside sorting through papers and putting them into boxes."

More:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fbi-raids-gop-consulting-firm-tied-to-conservative-scam-pacs_us_5914b924e4b00f308cf3c410

https://abc7chicago.com/news/chinatown-restaurants-raided-by-fbi-agents/364395/