Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, one of the Windy City’s most powerful and longest-serving politicians, was found guilty Thursday of embezzlement, bribery and attempted extortion after a six-week federal corruption trial.
The 79-year-old Democrat was convicted of 13 of the 14 charges leveled against him in a 2019 federal indictment that accused the veteran Chicago City Council member of using his position to steer business from private developers to his law firm.
Prosecutors also alleged that Burke threatened to block a move to raise admission fees at Chicago’s famed Field Museum because of his failure to provide training to the former alderman’s daughter, whom he had recommended.
Burke’s shakeup scheme targets developers working on the $600 million renovation of Chicago’s Old Post Office, a Burger King in the former alderman’s 14th Ward and Midwest liquor store chain Binny’s Beverage Depot.
Burke, 79, faces a maximum sentence of 110 years in prison. AP
The former Chicago alderman was found guilty of 13 of the 14 corruption charges brought against him by federal prosecutors. AP
“Did we land, uh, tuna?” Burke told former Alderman Danny Solis, who wore a wire for two years while federal authorities investigated the case, in an apparent reference to his desire to land the developer of the Old Post Office as a client for his law firm that specializes in property tax appeals.
In another recording played for jurors, Burke told Solis that developers can “do themselves out” if they think they’ll get good treatment from him without their business.
The disgraced city official also repeatedly said he could help the developer – 601W Companies LLC of New York – in a dispute with Amtrak because of his close ties to members of the train operator’s board.
“We made his daughter a judge here in Cook County. And one of their other daughters is a friend of my daughter’s … You’ll find out Chicago is a very small town,” Burke said in one recording.
“Jews are Jews, and they will deal with Jews to the exclusion of others … unless there is a reason for them to use a Christian,” Burke also told his colleagues, referring to the lead developer of the Old Post Office renovation project, who is Jewish. Burke was a Roman Catholic.
Burke was also accused of shutting down renovation work at Zohaib Dhanani’s Burger King after the fast-food franchise operator did not respond to Burke’s request to hire his law firm.
“It seems the two are linked together … property taxes and permits,” Dhanani told jurors.
“Maybe because I didn’t give feedback on the property tax business, maybe that’s why it will be closed,” Dhanani testified. “I don’t see any other reason why it would be closed.”
Peter Andrews, Burke’s political aide, and developer Charles Cui were tried alongside the former alderman, who resigned in May.
Andrews was found not guilty of all charges.
Cui was found guilty of corruption charges after he hired Burke’s law firm in an effort to get the former alderman to settle a pole sign dispute with the city related to his Binny’s Beverage Depot property. Burke asked the city building commissioner to look into Cui’s sign issue the same day his firm signed Cui on as a client.
Burke faces a maximum sentence of 110 years in federal prison.
He left court with his wife, retired Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke, without speaking to reporters.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
