This week's news
Chicago Ald. Ed Burke charged with extortion
Last Wednesday, Chicago’s longest-serving alderman, Ed Burke, was charged in U.S. District Court with extortion. The charges came after the FBI conducted two raids of Burke's offices, first on Nov. 29 and again Dec. 13.
The FBI complaint alleges Burke attempted to use his position as alderman to solicit business for his law firm, Klaner & Burke, from a restaurant owner who was seeking permits for remodeling in 2017.
The complaint also alleges Burke illegally sought a donation for another politician from an executive of the company.
Burke said he is "not guilty of anything, and I’m trusting that when I have my day in court, that will be clear beyond a reasonable doubt."
Burke stepped down from his position as chairman of the City Council Finance Committee on Monday. He announced he will continue his re-election bid. Burke faces four challengers—Irene Corral, Jaime Guzman, Tanya Patino, and Jose Torrez.
Patino called on Burke to withdraw from the race, saying, "It's an embarrassment to know that your alderman is doing things for his own personal gain instead of the community's interest."
A representative of Jose Torrez said, "We are running on a platform of transparency so we're not going to allow this to ever have to be an issue in the 14th Ward again."
Jaime Guzman said, "We now have proof that he’s been terrorizing the business community and he’s been apathetic about the demographic changes of the Southwest Side."
Burke has represented Chicago's 14th Ward since 1969.
Mayoral candidates react to Burke indictment
Cook County Democratic Party chairwoman Toni Preckwinkle removed Burke from his chairmanship of the Cook County judicial slating committee and said he should resign from the council. Preckwinkle also said she would return all money raised at a January 2018 fundraiser at Burke's house for her re-election bid to the Cook County board of supervisors.
Preckwinkle confirmed she received a donation for that race from the company executive named in the FBI complaint. Her lawyer said the donation was not accepted and the campaign may have made a technical error in not reporting the donation and its return last year.
Gery Chico, who was endorsed by Burke, said that he would not accept support from Burke in the mayoral race. He called on Burke to step down as Finance Committee chair. Chico also proposed ending aldermanic privilege (power over building, zoning, and permit decisions within their wards) and banning outside income for elected officials.
Susana Mendoza called on Burke to step down from the Finance Committee and said it's time for someone else to represent the 14th Ward.
Bill Daley also said the ward needs a new alderman. He proposed reducing the city council from 50 aldermen to 15, ending aldermanic privilege, banning outside income for aldermen, and prohibiting immediate family members from conducting business with the city.
Bob Fioretti called on Burke to step down as Finance Committee chair. He also said Preckwinkle should drop out of the mayoral race over the contribution in question and called on Chico to disavow Burke's endorsement.
Paul Vallas called on Preckwinkle, Mendoza, Chico, and Daley to withdraw from the mayoral race because of their connections to Burke. Vallas also proposed rotating committee chairmanships on the city council.
Willie Wilson said Preckwinkle should resign as Cook County board president and that, as mayor, he would use a citizen advisory committee to select city council committee chairs as opposed to allowing the city council to select them.
Lori Lightfoot called on Burke to resign as finance chair following the first raid of his offices and, since the charge, said Burke should also resign from the city council. She also announced her eight-point People First Pledge, which includes promises to limit aldermanic privilege, institute term limits for city council committee chairmanships, and ban elected officials from holding outside jobs that present conflicts of interest.
Amara Enyia said, "A lot of the other candidates have significant ties to Alderman Burke and therefore ties to corruption, so the question Chicagoans will be asking is can we trust individuals that came out of that same establishment." She called on Burke to resign from city council and released an eight-point plan that includes proposals to end outside employment for aldermen, increase the inspector general's power to investigate city government, and end aldermanic privilege by increasing community input on major decisions.
What aldermen are saying about Burke’s indictment
Joe Moore, 49th Ward alderman, released a plan that includes increasing the inspector general's power to investigate city council committees, banning outside employment for aldermen, and reforming campaign finance rules.
Alds. Susan Garza (10th) and John Arena (45th) called for the council to pass an ordinance, proposed following the first FBI raid of Burke's offices in December, to shift oversight of the city's workers’ compensation program from the council Finance Committee to the city's law department.
Moore, Garza, and Arena are seeking re-election.
And what some aldermanic candidates are doing in the wake of the indictment
On Tuesday, 15 aldermanic candidates, including Burke challenger Jaime Guzman, joined mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot to sign her People First Pledge.
Candidates who signed are either running in open races or challenging incumbents. The 15 who signed were: Guzman (14th), Alexandria Willis (3rd), Jedidiah Brown (7th), Rafael Yañez (15th), Andre Smith (20th), Cynthia Bednarz (27th), Katie Sieracki (33rd), Amanda Yu Dietrich (35th), Dianne Delaiden (40th), Maggie O’Keefe (40th), Leslie Fox (43rd), Jacob Ringer (43rd), Jeff Jenkins (47th), Heather Way Kitzes (47th), and Matt Martin (47th).
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