Former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is seeking to avoid testifying during the trial of the city's lawsuit seeking to break the long-term agreement for a restaurant in Millennium Park.
Attorneys for Daley say in a motion filed in Cook County Circuit Court his appearance at trial would present a "medical hardship" for the former mayor. Earlier this year Daley suffered symptoms similar to a stroke during business trip and spent several days in the hospital.
Prior to Daley's health scare, he said during a deposition related to the trial that he didn't remember the details of the deal that created the Park Grill.
"I don't know what I knew," Daley said during the deposition in October 2013.
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In seeking to void a 30-year contract to operate Park Grill, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration alleges a former Chicago Park District official "unduly and unfairly influenced" the process that led to a friend operating the restaurant.
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"I think in the Park Grill situation, city taxpayers were taken advantage of," Emanuel said at the time the lawsuit was filed. "They did not get a fair pricing for that property. So it's in front of a judge, and we are properly going to make sure city taxpayers are not in any way fleeced or taken advantage of in any context."
Daley's testimony was expected to be a highlight of the trial, which began in April.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
