Closing arguments wrapped up Friday in the public corruption trial of former Chicago alderman Ed Burke with his defense attorney telling jurors that federal prosecutors have failed to make their case.
Defense attorney Joseph Duffy repeatedly told jurors that “there is no extortion of anybody” in this case and that jurors should “send Mr. Burke home.”
“Self promotion … is not a crime,” Duffy said. “It is not a felony. The government followed him; surveilled him for 30 months. After all that, what do you have? Noise.”
Burke, who will turn 80 next week, was indicted in 2019 on a 14-count indictment - which including racketeering and extortion charges.
Prosecutors allege Burke used his political clout and influence in an attempt to steer people doing business before the City of Chicago to use his personal law firm that specialized in property tax work.
During the trial, which has lasted nearly six weeks, jurors have heard from a number of witnesses and watched secretly recorded video of Burke captured by former Chicago alderman Danny Solis, who was working as an FBI mole.
Burke’s attorneys attempted to discredit Solis and the evidence presented against Burke, arguing Solis - the former alderman - was trying to mitigate his own bribery case.
Burke and his co-defendants - long-time aide Pete Andrews and developer Charles Cui - have all pleaded not guilty.
In a case built around alleged extortion, Duffy argued none of the government’s witnesses went to law enforcement, saying:
“Nobody complained. Nobody thought they were a victim until the FBI knocked on their door and started playing their tapes and said: ‘oh listen to what Ed Burke said, I think you’re a victim.’”
Throughout the trial, prosecutors have alleged that the recordings and wire-tapped phone calls illustrate how Burke was eager to use his political clout in hopes of acquiring business, including a recorded call where Burke can be heard saying: “Did we land… the tuna?”
Prosecutors argue that was a reference to Burke’s desire to gain property tax business from a New York developer interested in the re-developing the city’s Old Post Office.
During their rebuttal Friday afternoon, prosecutors argued that defense attorneys attempted to “distract” jurors from the evidence - specifically the secret recordings of Burke, which captured Burke saying things like: “if we aren’t signed up, I’m not going to do any lifting for this guy.”
And later: “the cash register has not, uh, rung yet.”
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Jury instructions are expected to begin Monday and could take several hours before jurors could begin deliberating. Judge Virginia Kendall told jurors that she will not be a “Scrooge” and will allow jurors to deliberate as long as they need, but will not make them deliberate during Christmas week.
Should the jury need that long, deliberations would resume on January 3rd.
