Photos Confirm Rahm's Boxes

Rahm Emanuel's lawyers on Thursday took photographs of a number boxes that were stored in the family's Ravenswood home.

Earlier in the day, citizen objectors requested a field trip of sorts be taken to the family home, at 4228 N. Hermitage Ave., to view first-hand the belongings that Emanuel testified were in locked storage beneath the home. But hearing officer James Morris said photographs would suffice, and the Emanuel legal team produced the photographic evidence.

Lori Halpin, who currently leases the home with her husband, Rob Halpin, testified Wednesday that she was unaware of any boxes in the basement, but conceded that there were at least two areas to which she didn't have access.

"There have never been boxes in the house that aren't mine," she testified Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, real estate agent Paul Levy testified that he helped the Emanuel family buy the house in 1998 and later advised them to rent it out while Emanuel served as President Barack Obama's Chief of Staff.

"He always intended to come back to Chicago," Levy said.

Levy said that Emanuel's wife, Amy Rule, was opposed to renting out the family home but he later convinced her, citing security reasons.  He said he never advised the family to sell the home.

When it was later learned that Emanuel wanted to return to the home in hopes of fulfilling a life-long dream of serving as mayor of Chicago, Levy made a request of the Halpins to break the lease.

The Halpins wanted $100,000 to do so, Levy said, a figure that Emanuel called "ridiculous."

The Emanuels made a counteroffer of $5,000 per month for the remainder of the lease, which is set to expire in mid-2011.  The Halpins declined it and said they weren't leaving.

Shortly thereafter, Rob Halpin announced his own run for mayorHe's since withdrawn.

A tax accountant, James Kane, was called to testify on what defines a fulltime and parttime resident.  He said it was his opinion that Emanuel remained "domeciled" in Chicago under Illinois statutues.

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