(ProsperNews.net) – A former member of the Chicago City Council and a man once considered among the most powerful in the Windy City has been convicted of racketeering, bribery, and attempted extortion. Edward Burke was found guilty on 13 of 14 federal charges after exploiting his position to pressure private developers into using his law firm’s services between 2016 and 2018. He served on Chicago’s City Council between 1969 and 2023.
One of the corruption charges related to a Burger King outlet. Burke stalled the franchise’s permits on the City Council until it agreed to hire his law firm to conduct its tax affairs. Similarly, he targeted a developer working on renovating Chicago’s Old Post Office, saying it would get no favors from him without his firm’s representation.
Referring to the owner of 601W Companies LLC of New York, who is Jewish, Mr. Burke was recorded by the FBI saying, “Jews are Jews, and they’ll deal with Jews to the exclusion of everybody else unless there’s a reason for them to use a Christian.”
The 80-year-old former Alderman was indicted in 2019, along with his aide Peter Andrews and real estate developer Charles Cui. The jury convicted Mr. Cui of federal program bribery, using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity, and making a false statement to the FBI. Andrews was acquitted on all charges.
The trial, which was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, began in November and ran for six weeks. During that time, the jury waded through hundreds of pages of evidence before reaching its verdict.
Mr. Burke was previously an officer for the Chicago Police Department, but three years into his career, he stood for his late father’s seat on the City Council and was elected in 1969. He soon led the council’s finance committee and ran a hugely successful law firm specializing in tax, and that once counted Donald Trump among its clients. Burke was the longest-ever serving councilor in Chicago.
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