Former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke was found guilty on 13 of 14 federal corruption charges in connection with a variety of alleged schemes to solicit work for his private law firm while he was a member of the City Council.
Business owner Charles Cui was also convicted on all counts he faced in the case, as he was accused of bribing Burke to obtain TIF funding and other approvals for a redevelopment project on Chicago’s Northwest Side.
Peter Andrews, a long-time employee in Burke’s 14th Ward office, was found not guilty on charges he assisted Burke in a scheme to solicit work for a private law firm with a development of a Burger King restaurant.
Burke was accused of corruptly soliciting work for his private law firm from companies involved in redevelopment projects at the Old Main Post Office in Chicago and a Burger King restaurant in his ward.
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He also was accused of attempting to assist a business owner with a development on the city’s Northwest Side, and accepting bribes in the process.
Burke, who turns 80 next week, was also charged with threatening to oppose a Field Museum admission fee increase because the museum failed to respond to an inquiry about an internship for the child of a friend.
Here is a count-by-count breakdown of what the jury had to decide in connection to the case, and the verdicts that they ultimately delivered.
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Count 1 – Burke Guilty
This was the racketeering count in the indictment, alleging that Burke engaged in an organized crime in which he attempted to use extortion to repeatedly or consistently solicit work for his private law firm.
This included all of the alleged schemes involving the Post Office, Burger King, pole sign and Field Museum.
This charge could carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Counts 2-4 – Burke Guilty
These three counts all pertained to accusations that Burke solicited legal fees in exchange for various approvals and TIF funding for a redevelopment project at the Old Main Post Office in Chicago.
Burke was convicted of corruptly soliciting a bribe, as well as using a phone and email for unlawful activity.
Counts 5-10 – Burke Guilty (with one exception), Andrews Not Guilty
These counts pertained to an alleged scheme in which Burke solicited work for his private law firm in connection to the development of a Burger King restaurant in his City Council ward on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
Andrews, an employee in Burke’s 14th Ward office, was acquitted on all five counts he faced in connection to the alleged Burger King scheme.
Burke was convicted of two counts of using a phone for unlawful activity and one count of using an email for unlawful activity, as well as one count of attempted extortion.
Both Burke and Andrews were found not guilty of conspiracy to obstruct, delay and affect commerce by extortion, which was Count 6 in the indictment.
Andrews was also found not guilty of accusations he lied to the FBI about the alleged scheme.
Counts 11-17 – Burke and Cui Guilty
Burke was accused of attempting to assist a business owner, Cui, with a Northwest Side development after Cui allegedly told Burke he would engage his private law firm.
The project required TIF funding, which Cui was accused of bribing Burke to obtain.
Burke was convicted of accepting a bribe and of using a phone and email for unlawful activity.
Cui was found guilty of bribery, as well as using email and a phone for unlawful activity. He was also convicted of lying to the FBI when he told agents he had made no business offers to Burke.
Counts 18-19 – Burke Guilty
The final two counts in the indictment pertained to Burke’s threat to oppose an admission fee increase at the Field Museum, because the institution had failed to respond to an inquiry Burke made about an internship for a child of one of his friends.
Burke was convicted of attempted extortion and use of a phone for unlawful activity in connection with the incident.
According to court documents, Burke is scheduled to be sentenced June 19.
