Former Chicago Councilman Ed Burke, once one of the city’s most powerful officials, was convicted of corruption charges in December and sentenced to two years in prison on Monday.
Burke was arrested on federal fraud, bribery and extortion charges for allegedly using his powerful position at City Hall to secure lucrative contracts for his companies by coercing businesses into hiring his law firm and in return obtaining favorable outcomes on requests for property tax appeals, business licenses and other city services.
On December 21, former city council member Convicted He was charged with 13 counts of fraud, fraudulently soliciting, requesting, receiving or agreeing to receive anything of value, using an interstate facility in furtherance of unlawful activity and attempted extortion.
The case is based heavily on lengthy, secretly recorded video and phone conversations with former City Councilman Danny Solis, who also agreed to spy on the matter after he was arrested on corruption charges.
Burke was convicted of trying to pressure the developer of Chicago’s Old Post Office, the owner of a Burger King on the Southwest Side and the owner of Vinny’s Beverages on the Northwest Side to hire his tax appeals firm.
Prosecutors had sought a 10-year prison sentence for Burke, now 80.
But on Monday, the aide to former President Barack Obama was sentenced to two years in prison and told he has until Sept. 23 to report to begin serving his sentence. according to to WLS-TV in Chicago.
Burke is one of 30 Chicago-area politicians to Charged There have been a string of federal corruption allegations in the past few years alone.
The list of people indicted on corruption charges also includes former Illinois Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, who held political power in Illinois for 40 years and served as speaker for 38 years from 1983 to 2021.
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