'No surprise': Outrage as ex-alderman Ed Burke found guilty on 13 counts in federal corruption trial

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Former Chicago alderman Ed Burke, who served in the City Council for 54 years, has been found guilty of racketeering, bribery, and attempted extortion after a six-week-long federal corruption trial.

The jury of nine women and three men deliberated for 23 hours over four days before convicting the 79-year-old Democrat on 13 of the 14 charges leveled against him in a 2019 federal indictment.

Burke was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, federal program bribery, attempted extortion, conspiring to commit extortion, and using an interstate facility to promote illegal behavior, among other offenses.

Sentencing for the two most serious crimes, extortion and racketeering, can be as high as 20 years apiece, according to CBS News.

Prosecutors claimed that Burke, who resigned from the government in May, used his political influence to persuade people to hire his private property tax law firm.

Burke “had his hand out time and again demanding money and benefits from the very people he was supposed to be working on behalf of,“ Assistant US Attorney Diane MacArthur said during closing arguments, according to the Associated Press.

What are the accusations against Ed Burke?

Burke's takedown plan was directed towards the developer who was working on the $600 million reconstruction of Chicago's Old Post Office, Burger King located in the 14th Ward of the former alderman, and Binny's Beverage Depot, a liquor shop chain in the Midwest.

“Did we land the, uh, tuna?” Burke told former Alderman Danny Solis in what appeared to be a reference to his ambition to get the Old Post Office developer as a client for his property tax appeals law company. Solis reportedly wore a wire for two years as federal authorities investigated the case.

In another recording played for the jury, Burke told Solis that the developers should "go f**k themselves" if they believed he would treat them nicely without their business, the New York Post reported.

The disgraced city official also emphasized on multiple occasions that, due to his relationship with an Amtrak board member, he could assist the developer, New York's 601W Companies LLC, in a disagreement with the rail operator.

“We made his daughter a judge here in Cook County. And one of their other daughters is a friend of my daughter … You’ll find out Chicago is a very small town,” Burke said in one recording.

Additionally, Burke was accused of blocking renovations at a Burger King operated by Zohaib Dhanani after the operator of the fast-food business ignored his request to hire his legal firm.

“It seems like the two were being linked together … the property taxes and the permits,” Dhanani told jurors.

In addition to the former alderman, Peter Andrews, a political assistant to Burke, and developer Charles Cui were also on the trail.

Andrews was acquitted of all charges, however, Cui was found guilty of bribery after he retained Burke's legal services to try and win the ex-alderman over in a pole sign dispute involving his Binny's Beverage Depot property and the city.

Internet reacts to Ed Burke’s conviction

The news of Burke’s conviction has sparked outrage on social media with one user writing, “Absolutely no surprise. Who’s next?”

“I thought that's what all Chicago Alderman has done since Chicago became a city,” a second user slammed. “Down goes another crooked Chicago Democrat!” a third user mocked.

“Ed has been corrupt for YEARS. This may be a political hit job. Ed isn't worried, he is already old af and got what came for. Prosecuting him now is not gonna change much,” the fourth user stated, while the fifth one wrote “This has been coming for decades. I wonder why now?”

“I'm shocked, Chicago pol found guilty of corruption. Never happens!! 😂😂,” another user said.

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