Obama pal Ed Burke 'had his hand out for money.' Powerful politician convicted of extortion, bribery in historic verdict

[Blue State Criminals]

Chicago history books will remember Edward M. Burke as the dean of the
City Council, Harold Washington’s foe, a storyteller armed with tales of
yore, a judge maker and a political giant who learned how to wield his
clout at the height of the Machine’s power.

And now, Chicago’s longest-serving council member will also be remembered
as a brazen extortionist who used the trappings of his office to squeeze
developers big and small, complaining with impunity that “they can go f---
themselves” when they didn’t play ball.

That’s the image a federal jury embraced Thursday when it found Burke
guilty of racketeering, bribery and attempted extortion after nearly 23
hours of deliberations at the end of a historic corruption trial for which
Chicago has waited five years.

“This case was about bribery and extortion occurring at the highest levels
of Chicago city government,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual. “In
this case, defendant Burke had his hand out for money. He tied the giving
of official action by him to the giving of money to him.”

A panel of nine women and three men found that Burke committed
racketeering acts in all four schemes outlined in his sweeping May 2019
indictment. They involved two Chicago landmarks — the massive Old Post
Office straddling the Eisenhower Expressway and the Field Museum — as well
as a Burger King in Burke’s 14th Ward and a Binny’s Beverage Depot on the
Northwest Side.

They did so after prosecutors chose not to call infamous FBI mole Danny
Solis to the witness stand. Given that their strategy paid off — Solis was
instead called to testify by Burke’s defense attorneys — it raises
questions about whether Solis will take the stand in the upcoming trial of
former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Jurors still saw the secret recordings Solis made for the feds, though.
Burke could be seen and heard discussing his efforts to strong-arm the
developers of Chicago’s Old Post Office. Some video recordings were made
within Burke’s City Hall office, decorated by the well-known history buff
with images that appeared to be of the Great Chicago Fire and the
Haymarket Riot.

Burke squeezed the developers for business for his private tax appeals law
firm, Klafter & Burke. He also threatened the Field Museum because it
failed to respond when he recommended the daughter of former Ald. Terry
Gabinski for an internship.

The jury in Burke’s trial also convicted one of Burke’s co-defendants,
Charles Cui, of bribery and lying to the FBI. However, they acquitted a
second co-defendant, longtime Burke aide Peter Andrews.

In a statement from the lawyers who represented him signed “Team Pete,”
attorneys called Andrews’ indictment an overreach and the verdict a “well-
deserved Christmas blessing.”

“On behalf of our client, we are grateful to the twelve jurors who
understood what we have known for over four years: Pete Andrews did not
belong in this indictment,” the statement read.

Andrews was seen leaving the courthouse wearing a Santa hat.

Thursday’s verdict still brings to a dramatic end a year full of
corruption trials in Chicago. Nine people, including Burke, were found
guilty amid five trials in 2023 that resulted from federal public
corruption investigations.

But Burke’s conviction is a landmark of its own, and he now joins a long
line of Chicago officials convicted of a crime. He is the 38th alderperson
to be convicted since 1973, and the fourth in five years.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/12/21/24006969/ed-burke-verdict-chicago-
corruption-bribery-danny-solis

[John Nelson]

Post by Blue State Criminals
Chicago history books will remember Edward M. Burke as the dean of the
City Council, Harold Washington’s foe, a storyteller armed with tales of
yore, a judge maker and a political giant who learned how to wield his
clout at the height of the Machine’s power.
And now, Chicago’s longest-serving council member will also be remembered
as a brazen extortionist who used the trappings of his office to squeeze
developers big and small, complaining with impunity that “they can go f---
themselves” when they didn’t play ball.
That’s the image a federal jury embraced Thursday when it found Burke
guilty of racketeering, bribery and attempted extortion after nearly 23
hours of deliberations at the end of a historic corruption trial for which
Chicago has waited five years.
“This case was about bribery and extortion occurring at the highest levels
of Chicago city government,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual. “In
this case, defendant Burke had his hand out for money. He tied the giving
of official action by him to the giving of money to him.”
A panel of nine women and three men found that Burke committed
racketeering acts in all four schemes outlined in his sweeping May 2019
indictment. They involved two Chicago landmarks — the massive Old Post
Office straddling the Eisenhower Expressway and the Field Museum — as well
as a Burger King in Burke’s 14th Ward and a Binny’s Beverage Depot on the
Northwest Side.
They did so after prosecutors chose not to call infamous FBI mole Danny
Solis to the witness stand. Given that their strategy paid off — Solis was
instead called to testify by Burke’s defense attorneys — it raises
questions about whether Solis will take the stand in the upcoming trial of
former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Jurors still saw the secret recordings Solis made for the feds, though.
Burke could be seen and heard discussing his efforts to strong-arm the
developers of Chicago’s Old Post Office. Some video recordings were made
within Burke’s City Hall office, decorated by the well-known history buff
with images that appeared to be of the Great Chicago Fire and the
Haymarket Riot.
Burke squeezed the developers for business for his private tax appeals law
firm, Klafter & Burke. He also threatened the Field Museum because it
failed to respond when he recommended the daughter of former Ald. Terry
Gabinski for an internship.
The jury in Burke’s trial also convicted one of Burke’s co-defendants,
Charles Cui, of bribery and lying to the FBI. However, they acquitted a
second co-defendant, longtime Burke aide Peter Andrews.
In a statement from the lawyers who represented him signed “Team Pete,”
attorneys called Andrews’ indictment an overreach and the verdict a “well-
deserved Christmas blessing.”
“On behalf of our client, we are grateful to the twelve jurors who
understood what we have known for over four years: Pete Andrews did not
belong in this indictment,” the statement read.
Andrews was seen leaving the courthouse wearing a Santa hat.
Thursday’s verdict still brings to a dramatic end a year full of
corruption trials in Chicago. Nine people, including Burke, were found
guilty amid five trials in 2023 that resulted from federal public
corruption investigations.
But Burke’s conviction is a landmark of its own, and he now joins a long
line of Chicago officials convicted of a crime. He is the 38th alderperson
to be convicted since 1973, and the fourth in five years.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/12/21/24006969/ed-burke-verdict-chicago-
corruption-bribery-danny-solis

We can only hope Ed Burke gets a room mate soon.

One with a last name of Madigan.