Former Chicago alderman and prominent Democrat Edward Burke was convicted on 13 federal corruption charges, including racketeering, bribery, and attempted extortion.
Burke was found guilty of 13 out of 14 charges following a six-week trial. The case against the Democrat involved corrupt transactions where he used his political position for bribes and kickbacks. He was indicted for using his position to bring business from private developers to his own law firm. According to the New York Post, Burke targeted the developer 601W Companies LLC of New York, working on a $600 million renovation to Chicago’s Old Post Office, a Burger King restaurant, and the liquor store chain Benny’s Beverage Depot.
The Democrat also attempted to extort money from the Field Museum, where he tried to coerce them into directing tax appeal business to his private law practice.
My trusty list of Chicago aldermen charged with crimes since 1972 needs a bit of updating tonight, as Ed Burke slips over into the “convicted” category, which now stands at 39.
— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) December 22, 2023
Yes, that’s thirty-nine. 11 shy of a full City Council’s worth. pic.twitter.com/WnWSXAdLNO
Danny Solis, a former alderman who wore a wire for nearly two years as the government investigated the case, secretly recorded Burke on several occasions, which was used as evidence.
“Did we land the, uh, tuna?” Burke reportedly asked Solis. Another recording caught Burke saying the developers could “go f*** themselves” if they believed they would receive his favorable treatment.
The Democrat, known as a political strategist and influencer, also made disturbing comments about Jewish people, saying they “deal with Jews to the exclusion of everyone else … unless there’s a reason for them to use a Christian” about the lead developer of the Old Post Office renovation project.
Burke faces a minimum sentence of 110 years in federal prison. His developer, Charles Cui, and Peter Andrews, Burke’s political aide, were also tried alongside Burke. Andrews was found not guilty of all charges, while Cui was guilty of bribery.