USA v. Burke et al

  1. February 22, 2024

    Convicted Chicago Pol Seeks Acquittal Or New Trial

    One of Chicago's longest serving and most powerful local politicians asked an Illinois federal judge Wednesday to set aside a jury's December verdict convicting him of using his official position to steer tax business to his personal law firm, saying no rational jury could have convicted him based on the evidence presented at trial.

  2. December 21, 2023

    Chicago Pol Convicted In Bribery Case For Boosting Law Firm

    An Illinois federal jury on Thursday convicted one of Chicago's longest serving and most powerful local politicians of using his official position to steer tax business to his personal law firm, finding ex-Alderman Ed Burke guilty of racketeering, extortion and bribery. 

  3. December 14, 2023

    Chicago Pol Urges Jurors To Reject 'Mess' Of Corruption Case

    Counsel for a former Chicago alderman accused of leveraging his power to get developers that had business before the city to hire his law firm urged jurors Thursday to see past the government's "noise and confusion," saying they shouldn't focus on "offhanded, inappropriate comments" they heard on tapes played at trial but only on his official actions.

  4. December 12, 2023

    FBI Informant Faces Tense Questions From Chicago Pol's Atty

    A key government informant called to the stand by defense counsel for former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke testified Tuesday that he cooperated with the government and made secret recordings of the once-powerful politician to spare himself from criminal prosecution and jail time, lying "some of the time" while undercover.

  5. December 11, 2023

    Chicago Pol Wants To Treat Own Witness, FBI Mole, As Hostile

    Federal prosecutors in the corruption trial of powerful former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke have declined to call as a witness a government informant who made secret video recordings of Burke, and the ex-politician notified the court Monday his attorneys intend to treat the informant as a hostile witness despite calling him themselves.

  6. November 30, 2023

    Chicago Pol Denied Mistrial Over Witness's 'Corrupt' Remark

    An Illinois federal judge refused to grant former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke a mistrial Thursday after a witness described a developer's hiring of Burke's law firm as "symbolic of the Chicago way of doing business" and "very corrupt."

  7. November 29, 2023

    Chicago Pol Recorded Tying Project Aid To Work For Law Firm

    A former Chicago alderman facing charges that he used his considerable power to steer property tax work to his law firm was heard Wednesday on recordings made by a government informant resisting involvement in a developer's plans to renovate Chicago's Old Main Post Office because "the cash register has not rung yet."

  8. November 28, 2023

    Chicago Pol OK With 'Sharing The Wealth,' He Says On Tape

    Jurors tasked with determining whether former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke abused his considerable power heard on Tuesday the first secret recordings made by a key government cooperator, in which Burke urges the cooperator to recommend his law firm to a developer and promises a benefit to the informant as part of the deal.

  9. November 21, 2023

    Fast Food CEO Says Work Stalled After He Spurned Pol's Firm

    The top executive of one of the country's largest fast food franchisees testified Tuesday that he felt construction on a Chicago Burger King he was remodeling was shut down because he hadn't followed up with city Alderman Ed Burke about hiring his law firm and that work resumed after the company took steps to give Burke legal business.

  10. November 17, 2023

    Chicago Politician Says Bribery Case Lacks Smoking Gun

    Counsel for powerful former Chicago alderman Ed Burke told an Illinois federal jury Friday that jurors will see no tie between Burke's work as a lawyer on tax appeals and any city decision, urging them to reject prosecutors' claims that he repeatedly leveraged his City Council position to drum up business for his law firm.