>> MAYOR LIGHTFOOT WEIGHS IN THE
MURKY WATERS OF THE LEAD PIPE
DEBATE AND ORDERED A HALT ON THE
WATER METER INSTALLATIONS.
OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICAL TEAM HAS
MORE ON THE POLITICAL FALLOUT OF
THIS AND THE OTHER TOP STORIES
OF THE WEEK.
AND JOINING US ARE AMANDA
VINICKY, PARIS SCHUTZ AND CAROL
MARIN.
MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES.
FIRST, PARIS, THERE'S BREAKING
NEWS.
TELL US WHAT IT IS.
>> THE STORY "THE SUN TIMES" PUT
OUT REVEALING THAT ALDERMAN ED
BURKE UNDER FEDERAL INDICTMENT
HAD A BURNER CELLPHONE SO A
CELLPHONE THAT YOU SORT OF PAY
MONTH TO MONTH AND TOSS OUT WHEN
YOU ARE DONE WHICH INDICATES
THAT HE EITHER KNEW THE FEDS
WERE ON HIS TRAIL AND WANTED TO
CONDUCT BUSINESS WITHOUT ANYONE
WIRETAPPING.
THIS PHONE WAS NOT WIRETAPPED.
AND WE HAVE LEARNED THAT THE
CITY INSPECTOR GENERAL IS IN THE
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE KIND OF
DOING A REVIEW OF EVERYTHING ALL
THE ACTIVITIES THAT SORT OF
BURKE UNDERTOOK THERE.
AND HAS BEEN IN THERE AND
UNCOVERED SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES
THAT BURKE WAS THE SOLE
SIGNATORY ON AND THOSE BOXES HAD
OLD WORKERS COMPENSATION FILES
IN THEM.
BURKE RAN THE $100 MILLION
WORKERS COMPENSATION SYSTEM.
THERE'S MORE THINGS TO BE
DISCOVERED JUST ABOUT WHAT WENT
ON IN THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
UNDER BURKE.
>> AND WITH BURNER PHONES IS
THERE ANYWAY TO RETRIEVE THOSE
CONVERSATIONS?
IS THAT WHY YOU HAVE A BURNER
PHONE?
>> IT'S WHY YOU HAVE A BURNER
PHONE BUT "THE SUN TIMES" BROKE
THIS TODAY WAS WHO IS ON THE
OTHER END OF THE BURNER PHONE?
AND DID THEY HAVE A BURNER
PHONE?
>> I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE ARE LEARNING IN THE
BURKE INVESTIGATION IS THAT IT
IS UNFOLDING AND UNFOLDING AND
UNFOLDING.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE SOME
MILES TO GO BEFORE WE SLEEP ON
WHAT THE FEDS ARE GOING TO FULLY
CHARGE HIM WITH.
>> AND THE INSPECTOR GENERAL IS
IN THERE LOOKING OVER AND
COMBING THROUGH THE FINANCE
COMMITTEE.
REMEMBER HE DOES NOT HAVE
JURISDICTION TO DO AN AUDIT OF
CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES YET AND
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT MAYOR
LORI LIGHTFOOT CALLED FOR AND
ALDERMEN NEED TO PASS THAT
ORDINANCE IF THE IG HAS THE
AUTHORITY TO PUT OUT A REPORT.
>> BACK TO THE BURNER PHONE.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE FEDS HAD
WIRETAPPED SOMEBODY ELSE AND
THAT THE CONVERSATION FROM
BURKE'S BURNER PHONE MIGHT HAVE
BEEN PICKED UP ON SOLIS' PHONE?
>> THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING
THAT BUT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY
THAT ALDERMAN SOLIS AND ALDERMAN
BURKE HAD CONVERSATIONS THAT MAY
HAVE HAPPENED.
WE DON'T KNOW HOWEVER HOW MANY
BURNER PHONES BURKE WENT
THROUGH.
AND WHEN HE FIRST GOT A BURNER
PHONE.
>> THERE'S NOTHING ILLEGAL ABOUT
HAVING A BURNER PHONE?
>> NO, OF COURSE NOT, AGAIN IT
SHOWS THAT PERHAPS --
"THE SUN TIMES" REPORTING IT WAS
A COUPLE MONTHS BEFORE THE
FEDERAL RAID HAPPENED.
>> RIGHT.
IS IT THAT HE WAS TIPPED OFF?
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS
CRAZY IS THE NOTION THE
REPUTATION THAT BURKE HAD OF
BEING SO VERY CAREFUL IS THIS A
SIGN THAT HE WAS PERHAPS MORE
CAREFUL THEN HE MESSED UP ON THE
OTHER CONVERSATIONS?
WE DON'T KNOW HOW DEEP THIS
GETS.
>> IF I WAS IN CHICAGO POLITICS
I WOULD HAVE A BURNER PHONE.
AND --
>> I THOUGHT YOU DID HAVE A
BURNER PHONY WAY.
>> WE WEREN'T GOING TO GO THERE
TONIGHT.
I MEAN THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE
SAID.
A FRIEND OF MINE JUST LEFT THE
COUNTRY BOUGHT A BURNER PHONE
AND LEFT HIS CELLPHONE AT HOME.
SO THERE ARE MULTIPLE REASONS TO
HAVE THEM.
>> MORE AFFORDABLE SOMETIMES
THAN THE CELL SERVICE.
>> AND EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT UNDER
F.B.I. INVESTIGATION.
>> AND THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN
FLOATING AROUND AND REMIND US
WHAT MAYOR LIGHTFOOT CALLED FOR
HIS WEEK?
>> WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE
ISSUE OF LEAD IN CHICAGO'S WATER
SUPPLY AND PARTICULARLY THE
ISSUE OF ELEVATED RISK IT
APPEARS FOR HOMES THAT HAVE
CHOSEN TO BE OUTFITTED WITH
WATER METERS.
AND WHEN THOSE WATER METERS WERE
INSTALLED WHICH IS UNCLEAR WHAT
IS CAUSING THIS BUT MAYOR
LIGHTFOOT SAID GIVEN NEW DATA
SHE IS CONCERNED AND IS GOING TO
PUT A HALT TO THAT PROGRAM
INDEFINITELY.
>> WHAT IS THE CONNECTION
BETWEEN THE INSTALLATION OF A
WATER METERS AND ELEVATED LEAD
LEVELS?
>> THERE'S STRONG EVIDENCE THAT
WHEN THERE'S DISRUPTION IN WATER
SERVICE FOR INSTANCE WHEN
SOMEONE INSTALLS A METER YOU
HAVE TO TURN OFF THE WATER THAT
THERE IS AN ELEVATED LEVEL OF
LEAD IN THE WATER WHEN THE WATER
FLOWS AGAIN.
BECAUSE ALL OF CHICAGO WATER HAS
A CHEMICAL THAT CHEMICAL WHEN
THE WATER FLOWS THROUGH THE PIPE
IT COATS THE PIPE.
SO WHEN THE WATER IS NOT FLOWING
THE METER IS OFF, THAT COATING
KIND OF FALLS AWAY AND WHEN THE
WATER COMES BACK ON SOME OF THE
PIECES OF LEAD CAN POSSIBLY FALL
INTO THE WATER.
>> IS IT JUST A TEMPORARY
SITUATION?
>> IT IS A TEMPORARY SITUATION
THAT WHAT THEY SAY IS TO RUN
YOUR WATER FOR A LONGTIME TO
FLUSH THAT.
BUT THE CITY HAS KNOWN ABOUT IT
FOR SEVERAL YEARS THAT THERE IS
AN ELEVATED RISK OF LEAD IN
WATER.
WHEN THERE IS ANY DISRUPTION AND
STRANGELY THE EMANUEL
ADMINISTRATION ACTED LIKE THEY
WERE GETTING OUT IN FRONT OF
THIS BUT THEY HAD KNOWN ABOUT IT
FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
>> CAROL, ALDERMAN CARRIE
AUSTIN.
SHE WAS IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK.
WHY WAS SHE IN THE NEWS?
>> SHE WAS IN THE NEWS BECAUSE
IT TURNS OUT, SHE WAY OVERSPENT
HER BUDGET FOR THE BUDGET
COMMITTEE.
AND SHE HAS BEEN DEPOTSED FROM
THE BUDGET COMMITTEE BUT THE
FACT OF THE MATTER IS SHE WENT
OVER A $500,000 BUDGET BY
ANOTHER $300,000.
AND WHAT IS INTERESTING --
>> WHERE DID THE MONEY COME
FROM?
>> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
>> LIKE A SHELL GAME.
THERE'S DIFFERENT FUNDS AND IT
SEEMS...
>> WHAT IS THE LINK BETWEEN LEAD
AND CARRIE AUSTIN?
IT MIGHT BE THIS.
THAT WHEN MAYOR LIGHTFOOT WAS
ASKED ABOUT BOTH ONE OF THE
THINGS SHE WAS ABLE TO SAY WAS
YOU NEED TO ASK EMANUEL ABOUT
THAT.
THAT THERE IS A QUESTION OF WHAT
HIS ADMINISTRATION DID VERSUS
WHAT HERS IS DOING.
SHE BEING AGGRESSIVE ON THE LEAD
AND SHE BEING THE ONE WHO
DEPOSED CARRIE AUSTIN.
>> QUICKLY, A BEAT HOW MUCH
TROUBLE TODD RICKETTS COULD BE
IN FOR APPARENTLY UNDER
ASSESSING HIS NORTH SHORE
PROPERTY AND THUS PAYING LOWER
TAXES.
>> IF GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER IS
UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR THE
TOILETGATE THING AND UNDER
PAYING HIS PROPERTY TAXES I DO
NOT SEE HOW THIS IS DIFFERENT IF
WHAT IS REPORTED IN THE TRIBUNE
AND WHAT FRITZ KAEGI SAID IS
TRUE HE WAS BASING HIS PROPERTY
TAX PAYMENT ON THE OLD HOUSE
THAT USED TO BE ON THE PROPERTY
NOT THE BIG NEW HOUSE.
RICKETTS SAY IT IS AN ERROR.
BUT IF IT WAS --
>> GOT TO FIGURE THAT PEOPLE ARE
THIS WEALTHY HAD ADVISERS
TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO AND
WHATNOT TO DO.
>> AND THEY CANNOT JUST BLAME