Field Museum favors and sick dog at the corruption trial of ex-Ald. Ed Burke
CHICAGO (CBS) -- On Monday, prosecutors in the corruption trial of former Ald. Ed Burke (14th) played secretly-recorded phone calls they believe show Burke threatening staff at the field museum.
CBS 2 Political Reporter Chris Tye was in court as those tapes were played. There are four "episodes," as prosecutors call them.
They involve alleged schemes between Burke and owners of a strip mall, a Burger King, the Old Post Office, and the Field Museum of Natural History
On Monday, prosecutors zeroed in on the Field Museum and rolled the secret recordings they said to prove their case.
Prosecutors said when top brass at the Field Museum realized they had upset Burke, an influential voice that could derail plans for a fee increase six years ago, they hatched a plan to make him happy.
Under an email thread titled, "We have a problem," bosses suggested pitching their plan to Burke, by writing, "Let's bring them up to the great man in his history shine."
Burke was upset that his goddaughter, daughter of former Ald. Terry Gabinski, was passed over for a Field Museum internship he tried to facilitate.
So when museum leaders came calling to secure his support on the fee increase, Burke is heard saying on a wiretapped phone call, "I was surprised to hear from you very frankly… "I was quite disappointed and surprised that I never heard another word after my initial request."
As the museum's government liaison explained why they were calling, Burke said: "So now you're going to make a request of me? I'm sure I know what you want me to do."
A top museum official told jurors in court, "I perceived that as a threat." The official added, "We obviously had a very upset alderman, and so we wanted to think of opportunities to have a more productive relationship."
In an email, Field Museum staff wrote: "I wonder if we can offer him a mea culpa prize…an internship for a student of his choice? "
In the end, they offered the goddaughter a full-time position that she later turned down. When Burke presented that option to the goddaughter's mother — she said: "How lucky can this kid be?"
To that, Burke summarized, "I read them the Riot Act because of how they handled the application."
Burke's attorneys confirmed from museum officials that Burke never explicitly demanded that internship in exchange for his support of a fee increase...which did get approved by the way.
The museum's former director was heard telling Burke, "When you call Ed, everybody knows we jump."
Meanwhile, around 4 p.m. Monday, there was an emergency break in the trial after one of the therapy dogs that U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall has in the courtroom ate an entire bag of treats brought in by one of the jurors. There was a clean-up needed.
