>> GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER PULLS THE PLUG ON STATE FUNDING FOR THE BRIGHTON PARK MIGRANT CAMPS.

THE LATEST FROM THE CORRUPTION TRIAL OF FORMER ALDERMAN ED BURKE AND NEW RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLIC ACCESS TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS HERE WITH ALL THAT AND MORE AS OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS AND AUTHENTIC.

HE HAD A SHARON AND PERES SHOTS HE SO THE BIG NEWS OF THE DAY, OF COURSE, IS THAT THE STATE IS PULLING FUNDING FOR THE MIGRANT BASE CAMP IN BRIGHTON PARK.

HERE'S OUR MAYOR.

BRANDON JOHNSON REACTED WHEN ASKED ABOUT HIS PLAN B.

>> I'VE BEEN PLANNING FOR PLAN BC AND E AND IAN HAVE FROM THE VERY MOMENT THAT I BECAME THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

AND SO WHETHER IT'S 115 IN AUSTIN, WE'RE 38 IN CALIFORNIA OR ANY OTHER BRICK AND MORTAR LOCATION THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT CAN SERVE THE PURPOSE OF THIS MISSION KNOW THAT MY ADMINISTRATION IS PLANNING TO HIT.

>> ALL RIGHT.

SO HEATHER, WHAT ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS THAT HAVE LED THE STATE TO PULL THE PLUG ON THIS?

WELL, THE SITE WAS USED FOR INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES FOR DECADES.

SO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON SAID TODAY SHOULD A SURPRISE THAT THERE WERE TOXIC AND HEAVY METALS FOUND ON THE SAY ON THE SITE.

I THINK HE WAS CAUGHT GUARD WITH THE STATE SAYING THAT THE TESTS THAT THE CITY SORT OF ARRANGE FOR WERE NOT SUFFICIENT TO SORT BULLY FIGURE OUT HOW POLLUTED THAT SITE IS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE REMEDIATION ZINN THE MEASURES PUT IN PLACE WOULD BE ENOUGH TO PROTECT THE NEARLY 2000 PEOPLE THAT COULD HAVE LIVED THERE ON SHELTER.

THIS DECISION, I THINK NOT ONLY CAUGHT THE CITY OFF GUARD.

IT CAUGHT THE START OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN PROTESTING THE SITE OFF GUARD AND IT SORT OF RAISE SIGNIFICANT QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WELL THE CITY AND THE STATE ARE WORKING TO ADDRESS THIS BY ALL ACCOUNTS, SERIOUS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS, WHICH HAS BEEN IN FULL FULL FLAME FOR MORE THAN 6 MONTHS AT THIS POINT.

I MEAN, WHY IS THIS ONLY HAPPENING NOW AFTER THE CAMPOS?

YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT WE CAN FAIRLY WELL CONSTRUCTED, WHY WASN'T A DECISION ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF THE SITE MADE EARLIER COMING?

GOOD QUESTION, REDNESS.

AND I THINK IT'S ONE THAT PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY IS ASKING BECAUSE IT JUST ON ITS FACE SEEMS TO LACK ANY.

>> COMMON SENSE HOW WHAT?

BUT I THINK PART OF IT IS BEAR IN MIND THAT ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING DOES TAKE A LONG TIME AND WHY THE STATE SAYS THAT IT DECIDED TO >> CANCEL GOING FORWARD.

FURTHER ON THIS IS BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE EVEN MORE TIME TO DO PROPER REMEDIATION AND PROPER TESTING.

THIS TIME OF TESTING THAT THEY SAID SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

THAT STATE IS REALLY PUTTING THAT POINTING THE FINGERS AT THE CITY FOR NOT HAVING SHARED THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

IF THIS WAS HARD FOR FOLKS TO GET A HOLD OF CAME OUT LATE ON A FRIDAY NIGHT AND A WEIGHT, THE STATE GET IT UNTIL AFTER IT HAD BEEN RELEASED TO REPORTERS WHO PUT 4 IN PLACE TO TRY AND GET ACCESS TO IT.

RUNNING LATE ON A FRIDAY NIGHT TO THE STATE IS HAD THERE COMMUNICATION ABOUT THIS PRYOR, PERHAPS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SOLVED.

SO WHILE IT'S CERTAINLY THE CITY AND STATE HAVE BEEN IN TALKS, THEY ARE SEEMINGLY TALKING PAST ONE ANOTHER.

THEY NOT GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER EXACTLY.

THERE'S CLEARLY ARE NOT COORDINATING BRAND IS BECAUSE WE'RE HEARING ALL OF THIS THROUGH PRESS RELEASE.

>> AND THEY'RE NOT SORT OF WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TOGETHER TO RESOLVE THESE THINGS.

IF YOU STEP BACK A FEW WEEKS, FOLKS ASKED THE STATE FOR HELP, THERE WAS NO HELP.

THERE WAS NO MONEY.

NOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE'S MONEY THERE.

65 MILLION DOLLARS FOR FOR THIS BASE CAMP.

YOU THINK THE STATE'S GOING TO PICK UP THE TAB FOR THE CONSTRUCTION SO FAR?

ALTHOUGH THE STATE IS DENYING THAT YOU JUST WONDER IF GOVERNOR PRITZKER TRUST MAYOR JOHNSON, THE DNC IS COMING HERE IN 8 MONTHS.

THIS IS THE BIG SHOW PRITZKER WHO HAS PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRATIONS NEEDS THINGS TO GO REALLY WELL.

HE CAN'T HAVE A CITY WHERE MIGRANTS ARE SLEEPING IN POLICE STATIONS WHERE THINGS ARE YOU KNOW, GOING WELL.

SO YOU JUST WONDER ABOUT THAT ABOUT FACE AND WHETHER THIS CALCULATES THIS FACTORS INTO WHY PRITZKER NOW IS TAKING OVER YOU CAN'T HAVE MIGRANT SLEEPING ON STREETS WHEN THE DNC IS HERE.

BUT I THINK ALSO PRITZKER DOESN'T WANT TO WEAR THE JACKET FOR DOWN THE ROAD SAYING, OH, WAIT.

>> MIGRANTS AT A PLACE THAT HAD IN THE SOIL.

SO IT'S ALSO WHO WANTS TO WEAR THE JACKET POLITICALLY FOR THAT.

RIGHT.

AND THAT'S WHY MAYOR JOHNSON SEEMS TO HEAR ABOUT THESE THINGS.

WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, BUT AGAIN, THE ILLINOIS THE IEP IPA, YOU KNOW, DID ANALYSIS AND SAID, YOU KNOW, IN A CHECK AND IT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT.

SUFFICIENT WAS TOTALLY INTO TESTING THEY'RE PUTTING THE QUESTION THE GRINDING RIGHT AWAY.

THEY'RE JUST SAYING WHAT HAVE MORE ANSWERS.

LET'S LET'S GET TO THE BIRTH TRIAL.

REALLY QUICK, HEATHER, MORE EVIDENCE IN THE CORRUPTION CORRUPTION TRIAL OF FORMER ALDERMAN ED BURKE TODAY'S FOCUS.

WELL, WE ARE BACK FOCUSED THE ALLEGED SCHEME TO EXTORT OWNERS OF BURGER KING IN ALDERMAN BURKE'S 14TH WARD.

>> THEY SAID TODAY ED BURKE CLEARLY LINKED TO WHAT THEY SAID WAS THE PERMIT THAT THEY NEEDED TO DO THE WORK.

>> WITH HIS REQUEST THAT THEY HIRE HIS LAW FIRM AND A LOT OF THE TESTIMONY WE'VE HEARD HAS ANSWERED SORT OF THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION I HAD ALL THE WAY BACK IN 2019.

WHY WAS ED BURKE SO DETERMINED TO GET THIS BUSINESS RIGHT?

IT'S JUST ONE BURGER KING.

HOW MUCH MONEY COULD HE HAS EARNED APPEALING THE PROPERTY TAXES FOR FOR ONE SINGLE EATERY.

WELL, TURNS OUT THAT THIS ONE BURGER KING IS OWNED BY A FIRM THAT OWNS HUNDREDS OF BURGER KING'S IN ILLINOIS.

AND WE SAW E-MAIL FROM AEG BERKS ASSISTANT TO THE BURGER KING OWNER SAYING WE WANT ALL OF BUSINESS.

SO THAT THAT ADDS UP AND THAT PROSECUTORS SAY IS WHY AT BURKE HELD UP PERMITS THAT THEY NEEDED TO DO THE WORK AND THEN SHUT THEM DOWN WHEN REALLY THEY HE REALIZED CONTRUCTION IT STARTED.

BUT HE HAD NOT BEEN HIGH.

SO HE'S LETTING THE TO KNOW WITH THE OLD OF ISSUES RAISED TRIAL IN THE GROUND BEEF.

FENCE.

ATTORNEYS DID CROSS EXAMINE THESE OFFICIALS FROM THE IT WILL MEAN SO DID YOU EVER CONTACT THE FBI?

AND THEY SAID, WELL, NO, SO SUGGEST THAT THEY THOUGHT IT WAS WEIRD.

THEY THOUGHT IT WAS DIFFERENT.

ALDERMAN BURKE WAS MAKING THESE SORT OF REQUEST.

>> BUT THERE ACTUALLY MOVED PERHAPS HE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS CRIMINAL.

WE DON'T KNOW.

BUT AGAIN, YOU WANT YOU WANT TO DO BUSINESS.

YOU WANT DECIDED IT WAS NOT WORTH IT TO THEM TO SORT OF PROTEST AND THAT THE EASIEST PATHE WAS TO JUST MAKE IT GO AWAY AND GET ON WITH THEIR LIVES WHAT THEY DID BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T ACTUALLY WIN THE TUNA OR THE BEEF TERM.

NEVER HIRED.

YES, THERE'S TESTIMONY THAT THE PERMISSION SO MAINLY TO INCOMPETENT.

QUICKLY, HEATHER, NEW RESTRICTIONS ON WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN SIT DURING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.

WHAT ARE THE RESTRICTIONS AND WHAT'S PROMPTED THEM?

BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS.

WELL, THERE'VE BEEN SEVERAL MEETINGS THAT HAVE GOTTEN AWAY OUT OF CONTROL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HARASSING MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

SO THE JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION HAS SAID THAT IF YOU ARE JUST A REGULAR OLD CHICAGO YOU WILL HAVE TO WATCH THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING FROM THE 3RD FLOOR GALLERY AND THE BETTER GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS A LONGTIME GOOD GOVERNMENT ACCESS GROUP, SAYS THAT IS COMPLETELY ILLEGAL.

PLEASE DON'T ENFORCE THOSE RULES THAT THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH IS NOT THIS WEEK OR NEXT WEEK, BUT THE WEEK AFTER THE 13TH.

AND IF YOU DO, WE WILL SUE YOU BECAUSE IT'S A VIOLATION OF ILLINOIS OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND I NEVER REALLY GOT AN ANSWER FROM THE MAYOR ABOUT HOW THESE SORT OF NEW RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE CITY COUNCIL SORT OF DOVETAILS WITH HIS PLEDGES DURING THE CAMPAIGN TO BE TRANSPARENT AND TO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, THE CIVIC LIFE.

I THINK THAT THE MAYOR IS AGAIN TRYING TO FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN PROTECTING PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING SORT OF TAXPAYERS WORK WHILE PROVIDING PUBLIC ARE GOING TO GET SUED.

I WANT TO SPEND MONEY, CITY PUBLIC MONEY.

IT'S KEEPING THE PUBLIC OUT OF OPEN MEETINGS.

IT AGAIN TO TALK ABOUT, JACK, IF YOU WANT TO WEAR, IS THAT