AURORA, ILLINOIS.

SECOND MOST POPULOUS IS FACING A FEDERAL LAWSUIT OVER CHARGES THAT IT'S BEEN ILLEGALLY PLAYING FAVORITES WITH THE PRIVATE COMPANIES THAT OPERATE OUT OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.

>> ONE OF THOSE FIRMS CLAIMS ITS LONGTIME RIVAL HASN'T BEEN HELD TO THE CITY STANDARDS FOR AVIATION COMPANIES AT THE AIRPORT AND THE FIRM THAT ALLEGEDLY GOT A SWEETHEART DEAL HAS SINCE BEEN SOLD OFF TO BUSINESS.

THAT'S BECOME A BACKER OF AURORA'S MAYOR WBTW NEWS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER NICK BLUMBERG JOINS US NOW WITH MORE.

NIC, WHAT'S THE BACKGROUND HERE?

WILL BRAND ON THE ONE HAND, THIS CASE IS ABOUT A LONG-RUNNING BUSINESS DISPUTE WITH ONE SIDE SAYING THAT THE CITY OF AURORA JUST ISN'T KEEPING ITS AND UP.

>> ON THE OTHER HAND, IT SHINES A LIGHT ON WHAT CRITICS OF CITY GOVERNMENT SAY IS A PATTERN OF INSIDERS GETTING A LEG UP.

AIR RELOCATED TO THE AURORA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT MORE THAN 15 YEARS AGO.

THAT'S A CITY-OWNED AIRPORT.

BUT PRIVATE BUSINESSES LEASED THE SPACE AND DO THINGS LIKE REFUELING MAINTENANCE, FLYING LESSONS.

WAS ONE OF 2 MAIN AVIATION COMPANIES OPERATING AT THE AIRPORT.

THE OTHER WAS KNOWN AS LUMEN AIR.

CLAIMS THAT FOR YEARS THE CITY LET LUMINARY OPERATE AT A MUCH LOWER COST THAN PUTTING THEM AT A HUGE FINANCIAL DISADVANTAGE.

AND THEY SAY FORCING TAXPAYERS TO PICK UP THE CHECK FOR YEARS WHEN THE AIRPORT WAS RUNNING AT A DEFICIT.

JAY ALSO CLAIMS THAT LUMINARIES FACILITIES DIDN'T EVEN MEET THE MINIMUM STANDARDS THE CITY HAS IN PLACE FOR AVIATION COMPANIES OPERATING OUT OF THE AIRPORT.

AMONG THOSE STANDARDS, SAYS ITS RIVAL LUMINARY WAS ALLOWED TO USE UNDERGROUND FUEL TANKS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAK AND CONTAMINATE GROUNDWATER J AND OTHER FIRMS MUST USE ABOVE GROUND FUEL TANKS TO PREVENT A HAZARD LIKE THAT.

JAY ALSO SAYS WOMEN AS REFUELING FACILITY WASN'T UP TO WITH BUCKET USED TO CATCH LEAKING FUEL.

BOTH THESE PHOTOS THAT WE'RE SEEING OUR EXHIBITS IN THE SUIT.

NICK, WHAT'S BEEN THE RESPONSE TO THE LAWSUIT WILL NEITHER THE CITY NOR LUMINARIES FORMER OWNER WOULD COMMENT FOR THIS STORY.

BUT IN LEGAL FILINGS, ATTORNEYS FOR BOTH PARTIES HAVE BROADLY TONIGHT, JAY-Z CLAIMS SAYING THERE WASN'T ANY UNFAIR TREATMENT BEEN ESSENTIALLY THAT J DOESN'T HAVE A NATIONAL POLL CASE HERE.

NOW, INTERESTINGLY BACK IN 2015, THE CITY OF AURORA ITSELF DECIDED LUMINARIES BUSINESS WASN'T IN COMPLIANCE AND TRIED TO EVICT THE COMPANY FROM THE AIRPORT.

IN FACT, THEY TRIED 4 SEPARATE TIMES TO EVICT LUMINARY BETWEEN 2015 2018, BUT EVENTUALLY THE CITY AND LUMINARY CAME TO AN AGREEMENT AND SIGNED A NEW LEASE IN 2020.

THAT'S RIGHT.

AROUND THE SAME TIME THAT ACCORDING TO CITY DOCUMENTS, LUMINARIES OWNERS WERE NEGOTIATING WITH THE COMPANY THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY BUY THEM OUT.

AND WHO'S THIS NEW COMPANY WILL ENTERPRISES IS BASED OUT OF PERU, ILLINOIS.

THAT'S ABOUT 60 MILES OR SO SOUTHWEST OF AURORA.

IT'S A HOLDING COMPANY.

THEY HAVE FIRMS THAT DO A WHOLE RANGE OF THINGS.

WOOD PRODUCTS, CHEMICALS, AVIATION IN AURORA AND IN OTHER CITIES.

IT BROUGHT OUT LUMINARY IN 2021.

IT'S IN SIGNED AN UPDATED LEASE WITH THE CITY, ELISE THAT SAYS IN ITS LAWSUIT STILL CONTAINS THOSE ILLEGAL SWEETHEART TERMS.

THE COMPANY IS ALSO DEVELOPING A BREW PUB IN DOWNTOWN AURORA IN A BUILDING THAT IT BOUGHT FROM THE CITY FOR A DOLLAR, A DEAL THAT ALSO INCLUDES A $900,000 TAXPAYER BACKED FORGIVABLE LOAN SINCE COMING TO OR ARE AT CLE OWNERS HAVE BECOME BIG BACKERS OF MAYOR RICHARD IRVIN.

STATE RECORDS SHOW THEY NEAR A DONATED NEARLY $5,000 TO HIS CAMPAIGN FUND EARLIER THIS YEAR.

THE COMPANY ALSO PLAYED HOST TO THE ANNUAL STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS AT AIRPORT HANGAR AND THEN WEEKS LATER HOSTED A POLITICAL FUNDRAISER FOR MAYOR OR BEEN IN THAT SAME SPACE OUT OF THE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT THAT FITS WITH WHAT CRITICS SAY IS A LONG-RUNNING PATTERN OF PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES GETTING TAXPAYER FUNDED DEALS, CONTRACTS AND OTHER BENEFITS FROM THE CITY WHO ALSO BACKED THE MAYOR AND HIS ALLIES.

THAT'S A PATTERN.

WBTW NEWS HAS BEEN REPORTING ON OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.

NOW FOR ITS PART, THE CEO OF SEAL ENTERPRISES TOLD US WHILE IT'S NOT A PARTY TO THE AIRPORT LAWSUIT, IT'S BEEN OPERATING ABOVE BOARD THAT IT'S THE COMPANY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO SUPPORT LOCAL LEADERS INTERESTED IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THAT ANY BENEFITS IT'S RECEIVED ARE COMPARABLE TO OTHER COMMON REDEVELOPMENT DEALS.

BRANDIS.

IT'S A TWISTY STORY.

THERE IS MUCH MORE TO DIG INTO ONLINE.

SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT REPORTING.