Chicago alderman urges park district to sue donor Barre Seid
Officials say nuts left out for squirrels in Lincoln Park have drawn rats, and that taxpayers may be left with repair costs.
By The Carnegie Standard Staff
· 1 min read
Chicago officials are considering suing Barre Seid, the 94-year-old industrialist known for the biggest documented political advocacy gift in the country, over allegations that people he pays to spread nuts in Lincoln Park are feeding a rat population, Fortune reported on October 13.
Alderman Timmy Knudsen said he wants the Chicago Park District to bring a case over damage to the park, Axios reported; the district said it had not decided how to proceed. In a letter dated August 25, Knudsen described a last warning and gave Seid 15 days to halt the feeding, citing a municipal code ban on accumulations of food or refuse that can sustain rats, according to Block Club Chicago. City inspectors had issued warnings and citations over several years, and Seid paid the fines without challenging them, Axios reported, while the feeding continued.
"Typically, when you ticket somebody, it stops their bad behavior," Knudsen told WGN, adding that the activity had grown since ticketing began.
Seid built his fortune as owner of Tripp Lite, a Chicago manufacturer of surge protectors and power equipment. ProPublica reported he handed the company to a group led by Leonard Leo before its $1.65 billion sale to Eaton in March 2021, a structure tax specialists said spared him as much as $400 million in taxes.
This story was first reported by Fortune.
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