Feds showed up this am at law firm rep. Trump, asked everyone to leave & put brown paper on doors.

[MelissaB]

Source says feds showed up this am, asked everyone to leave and put brown paper on the doors.

Link to tweet

Alderman Burke's law firm represented Trump's businesses for 12 years.

Link to tweet

[Squinch]

1. Welllll... that seems like it might be significant!

Trump is so screwed he even cancelled his date with his best crush to divert attention.

[Jack from Charlotte]

91. Today I settle all family business.........

Deutsche Bank, known money launderers and last bank lenders to Trump, offices raided early this morning. Longtime Trump tax attorneys Chicago office raided today. Windows covered with paper by Fed agents. Longtime Trump attorney and fixer Cohen pleads guilty.....

Barzinni's dead. So is Phillip Tataglia. Moe Green. Stracci. Cunio.......

[Squinch]

93. But Fredo is still president! No christening cake for us yet.

[Harker]

104. Nice touch! n/t

[Blue_true]

103. It has been pretty clear for a while that Trump is being investigated for many crimes.

He is going to look back and conclude that running for President was the dumbest thing that he ever did, among a pile of dumb shit from him.

[Wawannabe]

111. Bing bing bing

Prize for you!!

[flying rabbit]

114. He is not self aware

enough to come to that conclusion. It's everyone else's fault.

[Ilsa]

107. "You have to answer for Santino, Carlo."

You have to answer for Hillary, Donald.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

109. ANSWER FOR DU READERS: COMPLETE NEWS FROM RELIABLE SOURCE...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211488903

[Kingofalldems]

2. But Avenatti is very bad!!

Seriously, this is huge. The freaking walls are closing in on the Trumps.

[byronius]

57. That was funny.

[FSogol]

3. They are the firm that helped Trumpy avoid paying his real estate taxes.

[SWBTATTReg]

13. Good. I hope that they nail him for this. We have in MO where people ...

declare their land as agriculture in nature thus getting by w/ paying very little property tax (when their land is located in or next to a booming suburban/urban area). I am tired of these so called wealthy people ignoring their responsibilities to society. Nail them!

[Kurt V.]

76. saw that in Chesterfield valley years ago.

[SWBTATTReg]

92. Yes, another example of it too. I saw this too. Thanks for bringing up too, it's too prevalent...

and people seem to get away w/ it.

[DemocracyMouse]

105. We must adjust the language to conform to reality:

These people aren’t “rich”, they’re “overpaid.”

Similarly, you and I are either “underpaid” (formerly “poor”) or we are “well paid” (formerly “middle class”).

“Rich” and “poor” are Orwellian terms in my book. The so-called rich are often impoverished of soul, whike the so-called poor, by necessity, are often rich in soul, barter-based community, and determination to survive.

[Leghorn21]

4. Oh no, not the BROWN PAPER!!!!?!

MARVELOUS NEWS!!!

OH HOLY HELL

[lindysalsagal]

87. Black would have been more fun, but I'll adjust.

[SergeStorms]

98. Prison orange would have done nicely as well.

I guess any color will do, as long as there's at least one piece of paper that's an indictment saying, 'Donald J. Trump' on it.

[Leghorn21]

99. ...yes yes, an indictment with a copy of President Obama's birth certificate stapled to it!!

[SergeStorms]

112. We have a winner!

Perfect. Corsi, Manafort, Stone and Trump can use that for toilet paper in the Big House.

[Ferrets are Cool]

5. This is certainly interesting. nt

[hedda_foil]

6. Alderman Burke is a Chicago Democrat.

[Anza404]

19. Well Drump did want the feds to investigate Democrats too... Looks like he is getting his wish.

[libdem4life]

35. And he has Atty. Emmet Flood...of Clinton fame?

Probably not in the "17 angry Democrats" group. Truth is, just like judges, legal folk are sworn to uphold justice, as best they see it, not as a Republican or Democrat. Surely they have certain leaning...we see this on the SCOTUS...it's called 3-4 now 5-2. The rating is, as I understand it, is conservative vs liberal...which just happens to describe our two political parties, for the most part. The Cretin is too stupid to know this basic, legal fact, however and refers to them as a D or R.

My first personal experience of this...not politically...but domestically...when getting a divorce and custody, our two attorneys tore each other an ripped each other an additional a##hole. I happened to stop off at the same bar they were after court...and they were chatting, and laughing and patting each other on the back. Had been my first time in a court..hiring an attorney, etc. I was livid. But, then a friend told me the deal. Still frosts my rear end. But we need them...and you don't ask them how they voted when you hire them.

[Hamlette]

88. I've had drinks with "the other side" on occasion. Lunch more commonly but one thing I never did

is talk about any information I obtained from my client or talk about any ongoing case. Not ever. And no one else did either.

We kept it civil and professional and I would encourage all attorneys to do the same.

I'm so pissed about Trump I can hardly stand to be in the same room as a Trump voter but it would do a disservice to my clients if I treated opposing counsel the same way. Opposing counsel can make my life miserable, make me do unnecessary work, delay proceedings or refuse to grant me a continuance if i sorely need one. And when they do, it costs my client.

I understand why you were upset to see the attorneys looking all buddy buddy, trust me you were better off for it.

[libdem4life]

106. That was years ago...I was just a young thing. I caught on pretty quick.

The post just brought back the memory and "learning experience

I also remember the first words out of the first attorney's mouth when he learned who my ex had hired..."Do you have 10 grand?" Wanted to wipe the flipping smirk right off his smug face.

But, I got over it all. Life. Those who have had a heated custody/divorce situation with a toddler, a wounded animal for a husband, and father's parents with unlimited money, will understand.

[Hamlette]

113. I was a public defender, worked in juvenile court, did mental health hearings, been a judge and did

divorces, divorces were by far the hardest. Give me a murderer or mentally ill person any day. Divorces are so emotionally charged no one is happy no matter what happens. Keep me married 44 years. People are hurt to begin with and the legal proceedings are like salt on the wound.

[libdem4life]

117. It's the deep, physical, financial, mental, emotional, psychic, sometimes business involvement...

add in kids and multiply the above in spades. That doesn't even count the in-laws, the out-laws, even the neighbors.

[bronxiteforever]

21. i can think of no better way to bulletproof

The investigation than to tie Cheeto to a corrupt Chicago dem. Imagine the calisthenics the GOP would have to perform if this case is related to the Special Counsel.

I know I made a couple of big leaps here but the possibility should have the GOP sweating.

[mobeau69]

7. And it's not even Friday!

Judas Priest!

[Haggis for Breakfast]

115. Yesssssssssssssssss

Can you imagine the news dump tomorrow ? Or trmpie's wild twitter rantings this weekend ?

[OAITW r.2.0]

8. 1st I've heard of Alderman Burke and his law firm's connection with Trump.

This day is getting more interesting by the minute...

[leftynyc]

58. It MAY have nothing to do with donnie

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-chicago-alderman-ed-burke-offices-raided-fbi-20181129-story.html

That includes running the workers’ compensation program for the city’s workforce, excluding sworn police and fire personnel injured in the line of duty.

In 2012, a federal grand jury demanded that Burke’s Finance Committee turn over records related to a “duty disability” program that in 2011 alone paid out $115 million to disabled city workers, according to documents the Chicago Tribune obtained at the time.

The 2012 subpoenas were issued about one week after city Inspector General Joseph Ferguson, a former federal prosecutor, announced that Burke’s committee had rebuffed his attempts to obtain many of the same records.

[mikeysnot]

74. Not his Law Firm

his Alderman office, so it might not have anything to do with trump...

[Cartoonist]

9. There they go again

The Feds ruining people's lives. Lol

[ScratchCat]

10. Its going to start rolling down hill

very quickly at this point. They aint playin', and people are going to prison.

[triron]

11. Something VERY BIG is afoot.

[Augiedog]

12. Uh oh. Slowly the worm turns....

[0rganism]

14. wrapping it for shipping, perhaps?

what are the rates for sending a building to Moscow?

[bobbieinok]

15. Other recent raids of note

* raid on Deutsche Bank for material related to Panama papers

* state and local police raid chancery of Galveston-Houston archòdiocese

Houston raid reported yesterday at Wm Lindsay's blog bilgrimage.blogspot.com

He links Houston tv station video about raid.

They were searching for and seizing info about priests charged with sex abuse.

Wm states this raid is especially signoficant because the cardinal for the archdiocese is head of the US Bishops council

[cilla4progress]

16. NO WAY!

Seriously?! Whee!!

[yonder]

17. Sounds like great news.

Snowballs be a snowballin'
Turnkey keys a jinglin'
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

[duhneece]

62. Jingle cuffs, Jingle cuffs

Have a very Mueller Christmas...

[Botany]

18. Add this in w/the raid on Deutsche Bank this AM and the **** is gonna hit the fan

[C_U_L8R]

20. They never go full brown paper

This must be some serious investigating

[Ponietz]

22. Did this firm lube Justin Kennedy's Deutsche Bank laundered money loans? N/T

[neohippie]

23. saw this could be related

Link to tweet

[neohippie]

43. also found this in another online discussion

https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-alderman-seeks-millions-in-property-tax-breaks-for-trump-tower/

The Trump Organization is trying to lower its Chicago property tax bill, and is looking to property tax attorney and Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, 14th Ward, to help.

Burke recently filed his sixth lawsuit on behalf of President Donald Trump’s business interests in an effort to win back millions of property tax dollars paid since 2009, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. One of the lawsuits has been dismissed, but the other five are still active.

Though the exact amount Burke is seeking is not clear, one estimate from state’s attorney’s documents indicate it could be more than $3 million.

This is not the first time Burke has played a part in Trump’s business.

In 2002, Burke, in his role as alderman, voted in favor of allowing the development of Trump Tower.

Burke’s law firm, Klafter & Burke, has represented Trump since 2006. And had helped cut the property taxes on Trump International Hotel and Tower by nearly 40 percent as of 2016, according to the Sun-Times.

All in all, Klafter & Burke has saved Trump $14.1 million in property taxes by appealing valuations made by the Cook County Assessor’s Office.

But it didn’t end there.

Burke has also taken Trump’s case before the Illinois Property Tax Appeals Board. In 2011, Burke sought a $6 million cut in Trump’s assessment that would’ve given the future president a tax refund of more than $1 million, according to the Sun-Times. In 2013, Burke went back to the board, this time fighting the $2.5 million Trump had to pay. And in every year since, Burke has filed lawsuits to get Trump’s taxes down.

But Burke isn’t the only Illinois politician who moonlights as a property tax appeals lawyer and Trump isn’t the only wealthy property owner benefiting from Cook County’s property tax system.

Klafter & Burke is just one of the cadre of Chicago-based law firms with political connections that handle Cook County property tax appeals.

Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton, and state Rep. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, also work at law firms that handle property tax appeals in Cook County.

The Cook County Assessor’s Office, headed up by Assessor Joe Berrios, calculates the value of each county property, which ultimately decides how much the owners owe in property taxes. Property owners can then appeal the assessor’s valuation in order to get their property tax bill reduced.

That’s where Burke and his ilk come in.

While there are multiple ways to fight Cook County property taxes, property owners can opt to hire one of the politically connected law firms in Cook County, such as Klafter & Burke or Madigan & Getzendanner, in order to appeal their valuations. And with two-thirds of all appeals resulting in a reduction, there’s a good chance of a return on investment.

However the Cook County property tax valuation scheme is hardly a victimless crime. As the politically connected win more appeals cases, the county’s property tax burden gets pushed downward. An investigation from the Chicago Tribune published in June revealed that the assessor’s office regularly lowballed the value of wealthy properties in Cook County, while overvaluing lower-income homes, resulting in an unequal property tax system that has hurt the poor to help the rich.

Trump’s choice of Burke – while indicative of the problem – is just the tip of the iceberg.

[erronis]

64. Great green gobs of greasy grimy gophers' guts --- slime all the way down.

Given that Chi is also a bit of a non-repuglicon (euphemism) town, I wonder how far this spreads.

[lindysalsagal]

90. You said it!

Gonna need more popcorn...

[mobeau69]

45. Keep digging David.

[progressoid]

70. "Springing Loan" aka "bad boy loan"

[GoCubsGo]

78. Well, a lot of folks forget that there is also a Trump Tower in Chicago.

There's already a ton of corruption associated with it. It wouldn't surprise me at all if this guy, being a property tax lawyer, is involved in it, somehow.

[red dog 1]

86. + 1

[spanone]

24. Yea Baby!!!!

[yardwork]

25. That means that a judge signed a search warrant.

Probable cause, right?

[Scruffy1]

26. Bribery in Chicago. I am shocked.

It's well known that this law firm specializes in appealing property tax evaluations and freely uses its insider status. It sounds like they found a whole lot of bribery has been going on. The "thing" was just one of their clients and they dropped him lately. I suspect Alderman Burke and a whole lot of other pols are going down, but if it turns out his Orangeness was knowingly involved in bribery it would be nice. However I doubt this would be provable. It has been my experience that law firms bribes are usually hidden in the fees so it is hard to ptove the clients knoledge. I'm thinking they work on a percentage and have been kicking back some of it to those responsible for making decisions on disputed property tax evaluations.https://news.wttw.com/2016/05/03/ald-burkes-law-firm-helps-trump-trim-117m-property-taxes

[cwydro]

27. What does the paper sign on the door say?

I cant read it, dang it!

[getagrip_already]

33. It simply reads "RICO".... n/t

[cwydro]

40. I hope you're not joshing me!

[demmiblue]

36. It reads:

Alderman Solis

Room 204

Zoning

Just Knock

(arrow)

[cwydro]

41. Thank you.

[MineralMan]

28. HaHa! While Trump Flies, the Investigation Proceeds.

This is sort of a remarkable event, I think. I wonder what Trump will think when he learns of it?

"Brown papered law firms
All tied up with strings.
These are a few of my
Favorite things."

ETA: See the complete lyrics at: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211488030

[ProfessorGAC]

37. Methinks He Will Be An Unhappy Traveler When. . .

. . .that plane touches down. Still half a day to go.

[cwydro]

42. Well done!

[MineralMan]

51. For the complete lyrics, click here:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211488030

[Dave in VA]

46. LOL

I just finished cleaning the soda off my laptop screen! Sooooooooo funny!!!!!!

[erronis]

66. Damn. Now I can't get that out of my head. What they call an "earworm".

[MineralMan]

67. There are worse songs to have as an earworm, I think.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

116. I once had "Jerusalem" in my head for three days

I wanted to take my bow of burning gold and my arrows of desire and shoot both Blake and Parry.

[LanternWaste]

29. This was the law firm that did Trump's taxes until earlier this summer?

[Yavin4]

30. For you kids out there in law school, start studying Real Estate/Money Laundering/Tax Evasion crimes

Methinks that when the Feds start digging into Trump, they're going to turn up others who did the same thing. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

[47of74]

68. There will probably be whole courses about...

...fuckhead’s misadministration of this country.

[Hestia]

118. ...and Forensic Accounting

[Equinox Moon]

31. Just maybe, the crime family in the WH is going down.

What is the brown paper aspect of this?

[blugbox]

95. Privacy for the investigators inside

Imagine if an employee is peeping at what they are doing, and they notice an agent looking through one of their "no no" folders and they are able to make a call that alerts someone involved... Unlimited number of similar possibilities.

This is much simpler. You don't get to see what we are looking at.

[George II]

32. Where is this? Is it in Europe or the US?

[watoos]

44. Chicago

[libdem4life]

79. The Deutsche Bank was raided in Germany today.

Justin Kennedy...Justice Kennedy's sons, was the loan officer who made huge loans...that the bank he worked for here in the states...could not possibly make to one client. Seems they said it was over 1/4 of the bank's total assets. Theory that's why Justice Kennedy resigned...this matter...theory by some was to get him and his son out of the hot seat, perhaps, and let another bank launder it.

(Maybe why The Cretin is not wanting to step on European soil just now????)

It's now international. Just imagine who all is involved. Reminds of that Dutch guy that got a month in jail a number of months ago, just for lying to the FBI.

The raids today are not coincidental. For the first time,I think he just may be screwed. I'm not sure how Executive Privilege...even if he manages to stay while his Congressional cohorts are frantically trying to find a way out...other than forcing him to resign or resigning themselves, which a number have done.

This is past the soap opera phase and is into the crime dramas.

[demmiblue]

34. Oh my!

[smirkymonkey]

38. K&R

?itemid=3551679

[bigtree]

39. k&r

[Azathoth]

47. I think people are jumping to conclusions

It's not exactly unheard of for the Feds to raid a longtime Chicago boss, and Trump was only one of Burke's clients. And, as I understand it, Burke only handled Chicago property issues for Trump. He's not like Cohen, who was Trump's in-house counsel and ball-washer.

[leftynyc]

59. Me too

I'm not at all sure this has anything to do with donnie.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-chicago-alderman-ed-burke-offices-raided-fbi-20181129-story.html


That includes running the workers’ compensation program for the city’s workforce, excluding sworn police and fire personnel injured in the line of duty.

In 2012, a federal grand jury demanded that Burke’s Finance Committee turn over records related to a “duty disability” program that in 2011 alone paid out $115 million to disabled city workers, according to documents the Chicago Tribune obtained at the time.

The 2012 subpoenas were issued about one week after city Inspector General Joseph Ferguson, a former federal prosecutor, announced that Burke’s committee had rebuffed his attempts to obtain many of the same records.

[libdem4life]

82. And the raid on Deutsch Bank in Germany today?

Just a coincidence? And right after Cohen brings in apparently new info and Meuller asks for 10 more days? Mere coincidences stretches even the imagination, let along the fact.

[leftynyc]

89. Maybe, maybe not

We'll see. Nobody wants that entire putrid family taken down as much as any NYer.

[gordianot]

48. Either the Republic will collapse or someday there will be a fantastic movie.

If we actually survive this drama.

[LuckyLib]

81. But by then none of us who lived through it could

stand to relive the horror.

[gordianot]

83. I lived to see All the Presidents' Men.

Not sure we will live to see it this time.

[nolabear]

49. He IS bringing Christmas back!

We wish you a Mueller Christmas,
We wish you a Mueller Christmas...

[brooklynite]

50. CORRECTION: This is Alderman Burke's office at City Hall

[apnu]

55. This does not appear to be Trump related. Chicago Tribune Link here.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-chicago-alderman-ed-burke-offices-raided-fbi-20181129-story.html

[Chakaconcarne]

77. Well if so, let's hope there's Trump collateral in there somewhere.

[Denzil_DC]

94. Quite possibly not.

But even so, it must have ramped up the Cheeto Charlatan's paranaoia a notch or two.

[LudwigPastorius]

52. Worth noting,...

Burke's firm also represented Jared Kushner in property tax matters regarding the AT&T building he owned/owns on W. Randolph in Chicago.

I would love this to be the beginning of tactics by Mueller to squeeze Kushner into testifying against his daddy-in-law.

[Azathoth]

53. I get the feeling Burke represented almost every bigtime real estate mogul in Chicago

Seems to have been his particular racket.

[volstork]

54. Oh, I'm sure they're

just painting in there or something...

[ailsagirl]

56. Here's a photo of Burke's brown-papered offices

[Gothmog]

60. This is not good news for trump

[C Moon]

61. "Come along my baby, whole lotta shreddin' goin' on."

...my whole life (up until now) I'd thought shredding was spelled shreading. :/

[snowybirdie]

63. This isn't necessarily about Trump

There have been many other charges about Burke that are purely local issues over the years.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

65. Sounds like team trump pissed off Bob Mueller.

There is movement on Deutsche Bank, Michael Cohen and now this. Stand back!

[LakeSuperiorView]

69. Brown paper packages, tied up with strings...

[JDC]

102. good one.

[barbtries]

71. i love it.

hey #TrumpCrimeFamily guess what? Laws apply to you, too.

[ffr]

72. Here's the attorney with Rump- WATCHDOGS: The Donald & the Democrat; Burke saved Trump $11.7M

Ald. Edward M. Burke, left, with Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump at the City Club of Chicago. | AP file photo

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/chicago-democratic-ward-boss-edward-burke-saved-donald-trump-16-7-million-on-trump-tower-taxes/

[GoCubsGo]

80. I think we have a winner here.

[Homer Wells]

73. Aah, yes

The plot persists in thickening.

[Thrill]

75. Cohen must have told where everything is hidden

[red dog 1]

84. K&R, thanks for posting

[lpbk2713]

85. The noose around Trump's neck keeps getting tighter and tighter.

And a lot of scumbags are going to fall with him.

I love it.

[chwaliszewski]

96. Whoa.....slow down people. Don't jump to conclusions.

My guess is Mueller is throwing Cheeto Mussolini a surprise Xmas party.

[sandensea]

97. The proverbial shit just got real.

[JohnnyRingo]

100. McConnell is practicing his shoulder shrugging.

You'd think his neck would be pretty sore by now.

Fortunately, his accomplice in the House of Representatives is gone soon so it may be harder to ignore the obvious law breaking.

[JDC]

101. Maybe they are just doing a little painting

Or maybe not.

45* is in very deep trouble. He's not media dumping his way out of this one.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

108. K&R

[Initech]

110. Remember - this is the part in Breaking Bad when Saul started burning all his files.

Maybe a job as a manager at a Cinnabon in Lincoln, Nebraska is next in line for Trump's attorneys?