1/3/19 Chicago Tribune:
Longtime Ald. Edward Burke, one of Chicago’s most powerful figures and a vestige of the city’s old Democratic machine, has often been considered too clever and sophisticated to be caught blatantly using his public office to enrich himself.
But after years of dodging investigations while watching dozens of his colleagues hauled off to prison, Burke has been accused of crossing the line himself — and doing so in a quintessential Chicago way.
A federal criminal complaint unsealed Thursday charged Burke with attempted extortion for allegedly using his position as alderman to try to steer business to his private law firm from a company seeking to renovate a fast-food restaurant in his ward. The charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison on conviction.
And there was nothing subtle about it:
A week and a half later, the FBI intercepted a phone call between Burke and one of the executives, who still seemed caught off guard over the purported shakedown and uncertain how to react. At one point, Burke said bluntly that he needed assurances that he’d get the business before “we can expedite your permits," according to the complaint.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Burke. What was that last part?" the executive was quoted as saying.
After deciding to play “hard ball” with the executives, Burke had a stop-work order placed on the project and also sent a Chicago Department of Transportation inspector to the site to issue tickets for failure to procure a permit for a driveway at the restaurant that actually had been previously obtained, according to the charges.
Chicago goes through these corruption stings every few years because the culture of corruption is part of the Democratic Party back through Tammany Hall, and it does not seem to bother Democratic voters.
You probably saw that the article also noted that as part of the raid 23 firearms were removed from his office, and he has to surrender any other firearms he possesses within 48 hours.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the 2012 article linked below, Burke has a private detective license and a private security contractor license, both of which permit him to carry handguns. In addition, Illinois law classes mayors and aldermen as peace officers which allows them to carry guns as well. Further, Burke has a security detail.
The article also notes the following:
"Burke has been for years a vocal supporter of gun control in Chicago. In 1982, Burke was a driving force in pushing through the Council a historic ban on handgun ownership in Chicago."
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-alderman-ed-burke-private-detective-concealed-carry-184055211.html
Guns for me but not for thee! He's a Democrat through and through!