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1 year ago
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The astonishing moment a Chicago lawmaker said over the phone that he wanted a slice of a local Burger King entrepreneur's business has been played in court.
Former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke faces 14 counts of federal corruption charges including racketeering, federal program bribery and attempted extortion over his handling of an application for renovations on a fast food restaurant in 2017.
Shoukat Dhanani, who owns hundreds of Burger Kings, testified that he felt he had to give Burke his property tax business to secure a construction permit for his joint at 41st and Pulaski in the Windy City, according to NBC.
'I'd also like to get some of his law business,' Burke said in a recorded phone call captured on an FBI wiretap played to the jury. It's unclear who was on the other end of the line.
'I hear he's got 300 Burger Kings in Chicago,' Burke added on the call. 'So he's somebody you and I should try and get to know.'
Former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke (pictured) faces 14 counts of federal corruption charges including racketeering, federal program bribery and attempted extortion over his handling of an application for renovations on a fast food restaurant in 2017
Shoukat Dhanani (pictured), who owns hundreds of Burger Kings, testified that he felt he had to give Burke his property tax business to secure a construction permit for his joint at 41st and Pulaski in the Windy City, according to NBC
Dhanani said when he tried to renovate the 41st and Pulaski Burger King in 2017, Burke's office obstructed giving him a permit - only to allow it after he promised to send him business.
Jurors were shown a letter from Burke's assistant to the Dhanani Group offering to 'reach out regarding real estate tax appeal work in the metropolitan Chicago area'.
'I told the FBI I felt I would have to give the alderman our property tax business for our permit to get going,' Dhanani testified on Wednesday.
Dhanani, who owns 150 restaurants in the Chicago area alone, told the court the pressure he felt from Burke was unlike anything he has encountered before in his dealings with myriad public officials across the United States.
He contends that Burke wanted to land a share of his multi-billion-dollar business and land for his private law firm - as captured on the FBI wiretaps.
Burke also requested to personally meet Dhanani - something he said he could not recall happening with any other local councilmen.
When asked by his lawyer whether any other public officials had taken him to lunch, Dhanani said: 'No, I don't think so'.
He added that his encounter with Burke was also the first time a public official had asked him to hire their private business after he sought approval for a permit.
Dhanani said when he tried to renovate the 41st and Pulaski Burger King (pictured), Burke's office obstructed giving him a permit - only to allow it after he promised to send him business.
Burke's lawyers contested that Dhanani didn't hire Burke's firm, and in the end he still got his permit and the renovations were completed.
When asked whether Burke demanded that 'you give him legal business otherwise he would hold up your remodeling', Dhanani agreed that he did not.
'You never gave Burke business and you still got your permit?' Burke's attorney asked Dhanani, who replied in the affirmative.
The case surrounding Chicago's longest-serving and once most-powerful alderman will continue on Monday after the Thanksgiving break.
Prosecutors are expected to continue making their case on the alleged Burger King bribery, which is just one of the alleged 'episodes' in which Burke is accused of attempting underhand dealings with businessmen.
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