As the Burke scandal has hobbled her Chicago mayoral campaign, Preckwinkle has sought to minimize her ties. She has said she would return campaign contributions from Burke’s political funds and a fundraiser held at his house, called on him to resign from the City Council, and removed him as chair of the county Democratic Party Judicial Slating Committee. Preckwinkle has said she is profoundly troubled by the case and had “little contact and no relationship with the alderman.”