Former Ald. Ed Burke, Chicago’s longest-serving City Council member, will be sentenced Monday after he was convicted on corruption charges in December. Meanwhile, Burke has been pushing for a delay in sentencing and rallying his political allies to speak up in his favor.
What Did Burke Do?
On Dec. 21, Burke was convicted on 13 of 14 counts of racketeering, attempted extortion, and bribery. Burke was accused of abusing his political power to benefit his private law firm. A federal jury found him guilty of all four schemes laid out in his indictment, one of which involved a Burger King in his former 14th Ward on the Southwest Side.
Why Did Burke Push for a Delay in His Sentencing?
Burke asked for a delay until mid-July and until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on another case from Portage, Indiana, in which former Mayor James Snyder was convicted of bribery in 2021. That case could determine how federal courts distinguish between bribes and gratuities.
Who Wants Him to Get A Lighter Sentence?
In a court filing, federal prosecutors recommended Burke serve a 10-year sentence. Some in City Council disagree with that.
WBEZ talked to several City Council members who expressed concern for the 80-year-old Burke, one of whom called a decade-long prison term a “death sentence.”
Prosecutors say they did consider Burke’s age, adding that the recommendation was already on the “low end” of federal sentencing guidelines. Ald. Emma Mitts, 37th Ward, said she would recommend “no time,” and Ald. Nick Sposato, 38th Ward, told WBEZ Burke should serve just one year.
