Feds say ex-Ald. Ed Burke used his energy on ‘darkish path’ of corruption, search 10 years in jail

Federal prosecutors are asking for 10 years in jail for former Chicago Ald. Edward Burke, arguing in a prolonged submitting late Monday that the 80-year-old Democratic machine stalwart was “steeped in corruption” and extremely adept at abusing his workplace for private acquire.

“Repeatedly, Burke used his vital political energy to solicit and obtain bribes from entities with enterprise earlier than town of Chicago—all so he may get hold of authorized enterprise for his personal regulation agency and financially profit his shut private associates,” prosecutors wrote of their 51-page submitting. “To this present day, Burke has expressed no regret for his crimes; certainly, he continues to disclaim he did a single factor incorrect.”

The sentence requested by the U.S. legal professional’s workplace would imply that Burke may very nicely die in jail. However a prolonged time period behind bars is warranted, prosecutors say, given the “mountain” of proof within the case — together with a whole lot of undercover recordings — that captured Burke in his personal phrases and make it “apparent that Burke was no novice when it got here to corruption.”

“Burke operated as a seasoned skilled when it got here to figuring out new potential shoppers for his regulation agency and exploiting his energy and place with a purpose to safe their enterprise,” prosecutors wrote.

To bolster their argument about the price of Burke’s crimes, prosecutors estimated the general monetary loss he triggered amounted to just about $830,000.

Shortly earlier than the midnight deadline, legal professionals for Burke requested in a submitting of their very own for an “different to incarceration” reminiscent of a interval of house confinement, writing Burke is a “essentially respectable man” who did a variety of good for his metropolis over a six-decade profession.

In addition they argued the trial proof confirmed Burke “didn’t obtain a single penny” from his offenses, “nor did he trigger any severe monetary hurt to any celebration.” Even the witnesses who have been allegedly being shaken down testified Burke’s demeanor was “respectful, skilled, and pleasant—by no means aggressive, threatening, nor intimidating,” Burke’s submitting acknowledged.

Burke’s sentencing earlier than U.S. District Decide Virginia Kendall on June 24 can be carefully watched in Illinois political circles. He’s probably the most highly effective politician to face jail time right here since former U.S. Home Speaker Dennis Hastert was given 15 months in 2016 for paying hush cash funds to cowl up decades-old sexual abuse of minors.

Burke’s destiny will definitely be of eager curiosity to former Illinois Home Speaker Michael Madigan, who faces his own racketeering trial in October. Madigan, who like Burke was a Southwest Facet Democrat steeped within the outdated Chicago political machine, was dethroned in 2021 within the midst of the federal investigation following a nationwide 36-year document run because the chief of his legislative chamber.

In the meantime, a jury in December discovered Burke, the longtime chief of the highly effective Metropolis Council Finance Committee, responsible of a sequence of schemes to make use of his appreciable Metropolis Corridor clout to try to win enterprise from builders for his personal property tax regulation agency.

Amongst them have been efforts to woo the New York-based builders of the huge, $600 million renovation of the Outdated Submit Workplace, extorting the Texas house owners of a Burger King who have been in search of to renovate a restaurant in Burke’s 14th Ward, and intervening on behalf of Charles Cui, a developer in Portage Park who wished assist getting a pole signal permitted for a brand new Binny’s Beverage Depot location.

Burke was additionally discovered responsible of tried extortion for threatening to carry up a payment enhance for the Discipline Museum as a result of he was offended the museum had ignored an internship software from his goddaughter, who’s the daughter of former thirty second Ward Ald. Terry Gabinski, Burke’s longtime buddy.

The jury acquitted Burke on one rely of conspiracy to commit extortion associated to the Burger King challenge.

Additionally convicted was Cui, whose sentencing is ready for subsequent month.

The jury acquitted Burke’s longtime 14th Ward aide, Peter Andrews, of all counts alleging he helped Burke stress the Burger King house owners into hiring Burke’s regulation agency by shutting down their restaurant renovation.

Burke’s high-profile, six-week trial featured some 38 witnesses and greater than 100 secretly recorded movies and wiretapped recordings, providing a captivating behind-the-scenes take a look at one in all Chicago’s high political energy brokers at work.

On the coronary heart of the case have been dozens of wiretapped telephone calls and secretly recorded conferences made by Daniel Solis, the previous twenty fifth Ward alderman who turned FBI mole after being confronted in 2016 along with his personal wrongdoing.

In closing arguments, prosecutors put up on massive video screens a sequence of now-notorious statements made by Burke on the recordings. Amongst them: “The money register has not rung but,” “They’ll go (expletive) themselves,” and “Did we land the tuna?”

A number of letters in support of Burke have been made public final month, together with one from former mayoral candidate Paul Vallas who wrote Burke’s “skilled affect on Chicago is a superb legacy.”

Of their submitting late Monday, Burke’s attorneys hooked up dozens of more letters of assist from individuals of all walks of life, together with former U.S. Lawyer Dan Webb, ex-Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, and present and former Metropolis Council colleagues like Ald. Nicholas Sposato, thirty eighth, and former fortieth Ward Ald. Patrick O’Connor.

Burke’s spouse Anne, previously the chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Courtroom, described Burke as a loyal husband and father who inspired her to complete faculty and go to regulation college. He additionally helped “100 or extra” struggling metropolis children with tuition and jobs, she wrote.

“He has at all times seen his position as taking good care of individuals, whether or not they want cash, or a job, or assist combating insurance coverage firms,” she wrote. “… I’m devastated by the prospect that I can’t be with Ed on the finish of our lives. Please discover compassion via the Holy Spirit in your choice.”

Webb, a high-profile litigator who defended former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, mentioned he has been private buddies with the Burke household for 40 years and urged the choose to “consider the totality of the particular person being sentenced.”

“At no time did I ever see any indication that he was apart from a devoted public servant, at all times desirous about serving the residents of the Metropolis of Chicago,” Webb wrote.

McCarthy wrote that whereas he respects the jury’s choice it’s “onerous to reconcile the Ed Burke that I do know with the allegations within the case.”

“A lifetime of service by the Burke household has come crashing down on them,” McCarthy wrote. “The general public humiliation has been overwhelming. Fifty-four years because the longest serving Alderman in Chicago’s historical past. Lots of, if not 1000’s of non-public touches to make life higher for his constituents. The pressure on Mr. Burke has at occasions been insufferable, and but he has placed on a courageous face for his household.”

Even Invoice Kurtis, the longtime broadcaster, mentioned he adopted Burke’s “devotion to his position on the Metropolis Council and his dedication to his constituents that made a long-lasting impression.”

“I’ve thought Ed Burke was the mannequin of what an alderman needs to be,” Kurtis wrote. “I nonetheless assume that.”

Of their submitting on Monday, nevertheless, prosecutors quoted the late U.S. District Decide James Zagel, who in sentencing former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to 14 years in jail, mentioned he was accountable for corruption that tore the material of the state.

Prosecutors mentioned Burke did comparable harm, and {that a} prolonged sentence was obligatory to discourage others — together with a few of these very supporters who wrote letters singing Burke’s praises.

“Burke not holds public workplace. However it’s obvious from the character letters obtained up to now that there are those that lurk within the bowels of metropolis authorities and stroll in its corridors of energy who’re nonetheless sturdy allies of Burke,” the prosecution submitting acknowledged. “It might be naïve to assume that there’s something stopping Burke, the consummate political insider along with his coterie of misguided buddies and well-wishers, from partaking in the identical kind of conduct together with public officers sooner or later.”

Burke’s legal professionals additionally argued his age and declining well being ought to qualify him for a lighter sentence. Burke was beforehand handled for prostate most cancers, suffered a mini-stroke in 2018 that triggered him to fall, has lately skilled seizures and at present suffers from hypertension, anxiousness and “depressed temper,” based on the protection submitting.

“At age eighty and with a number of severe acute and power medical points, Mr. Burke can be an costly prisoner to deal with for any size of time, and even a brief sentence is more likely to quantity to a dying sentence,” his attorneys wrote.

Prosecutors known as that notion “useless incorrect.”

“Excessive-level public officers on this metropolis and on this state like Burke have to obtain a easy, undiluted, and unequivocal warning loud and clear: You’ll pay dearly—no matter your age—in the event you select the darkish path of corruption that Burke determined to stroll for a few years,” the prosecution submitting acknowledged.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com