Chicago City Wire

Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, who served in the City Council for 54 years, was convicted of bribery, racketeering and attempted extortion in federal court on Thursday. After 23 hours of deliberation, a jury comprising nine women and three men returned guilty verdicts on 13 of the 14 counts against Burke, who is set to turn 80 next week.

Burke was found guilty of one count of racketeering, two counts of federal program bribery, two counts of attempted extortion and eight counts of interstate commerce fraud.

Charles Cui, a Lake Forest developer and co-defendant with Burke, was found guilty on five charges, including bribery and lying to the FBI. However, Peter Andrews, a longtime aide to Burke aged 73, was acquitted on all five charges that he faced.

Acting U.S. Attorney General Morris Pasqual informed reporters that "Burke had his hand out for money. He tied the giving of official action by him to the giving of money to him," according to ABC7. Pasqual further described the corruption case against Burke as an example of "bribery and extortion" at the highest level of the Chicago government.

Burke held the record as the longest-serving member of the Chicago City Council and was arguably its most powerful figure before his indictment in 2019. His downfall marked a turning point in Lori Lightfoot's Chicago mayoral election.

Mayor Lightfoot told the Sun-Times that Thursday's verdict signified "The tyranny of Ed Burke is over." She added that she likes to think somewhere "[the late former Mayor] Harold [Washington], who Burke battled during 'Council Wars' in the '80s] is smiling."

Alderman Ray Lopez, an ally of Burke's, issued a statement asserting that justice had been delivered by the jury.

"I have known Ed Burke since 2012, shortly after being elected Democratic Committeeman of Chicago's 15th Ward. We have not always had a good relationship.  In fact, he openly supported a candidate against me when I ran for Alderman in 2015.  We eventually learned to work together for the betterment of our shared communities of Brighton Park and Gage Park. He always advocated for his residents and, powered by his extraordinary knowledge of Chicago history, was able to find ways to improve our city’s shortcomings," Lopez said. "My thoughts are with his wife Anne and their children during this difficult time."

Burke faces more than 20 years in prison for each of the most serious charges that he was convicted of. His sentencing is scheduled for June 19, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois.