Ald. Ed Burke Indicted On New Racketeering, Bribery Charges

CHICAGO — Federal prosecutors announced additional charges Thursday against Chicago Ald. Ed Burke, accusing him of participating in a racketeering conspiracy to enrich himself, his law firm and his allies. A grand jury returned the 19-count superseding indictment naming Burke, his top aide and a Lake Forest attorney as defendants. In response, the mayor called for him to immediately step down.

Prosecutors said Burke corruptly solicited work for his law firm from companies working on the redevelopment of the Old Main Post Office, 433 Van Buren St. in Chicago, and the Burger King at 4060 S. Pulaski Ave. After a business owner promised to hire his firm, Burke helped him with access to public money for a development at 4901 W. Irving Park Road. And, prosecutors allege, when the Field Museum did not respond to his inquiry about setting up a friend's child with an internship, he threatened to block the museum's request for Park District approval to raise admission fees.

Burke, 75, is Chicago's longest-serving alderman and was for decades one of the City Council's most powerful figures. Before FBI agents raided his offices last November, he had chaired the powerful finance committee.

Burke was first charged with attempted extortion in January. Prosecutors said he shook down the owners of a Burger King franchise, demanding they hire his property tax appeal law firm. When the franchise owners declined to hire his firm, Klafter & Burke, Burke and a staffer conspired to throw the wrench into renovations to the restaurant through bogus permits and citations, according to the charges.

In February, Burke was re-elected to a 13th term on the City Council, winning more than 50 percent of the vote in his 14th Ward.

Federal investigators recorded over 9,000 conversations over an eight-month wiretap on Burke's cellphone, according to the indictment. Prosecutors also received the cooperation of Danny Solis, former 25th Ward alderman, who wore a wire and "acted at the direction of law enforcement" as Burke tried to get his law firm business from the New York-based developer of the Old Post Office, identified in public records as 601W Companies.

After a meeting between Burke, Solis and representatives of the company, Burke expressed anger that his law firm had yet to be hired by the company, according to prosecutors. As a ruse on behalf of law enforcement, Solis had already told Burke the company had agreed to hire his law firm.

Burke told Solis he was not "fond of the way they've conducted themselves up until this point, and as far as I'm concerned, they can go [expletive] themselves," according to the indictment. Solis told him he had already said the company's request for tax increment financing funding would go before Burke's finance committee.

"Well, good luck getting it on the agenda," Burke responded.

For the first time in the May 30 indictment, prosecutors accused Burke of the attempted extortion of the Field Museum. According to the indictment, Burke threatened to derail a proposal to increase admission fees because the museum failed to respond to his inquiry about an internship for the daughter of a personal acquaintance. After the threat, the child of his friend was offered a full-time job, which she ended up declining.

Peter Andrews, 69, an employee in his ward office, was named by prosecutors for the first time in the superseding indictment. He was charged with one count of attempted extortion, one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of lying to the FBI and two counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity.

Their fellow co-defendant, Cui, 48, was first indicted in April on charges lying to the FBI, federal program bribery and two counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate bribery and official misconduct. Burke was added as a defendant in that case Thursday.

Racketeering, attempted extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion can each be punishable with prison sentences of a maximum of 20 years. Federal program bribery is punishable by up to 10 years., while using interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity and making false statements to the FBI can be punished with up to five years in prison.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a statement in response to the new charges calling on Burke to resign and announcing she had directed the city's law department to look into whether any current city employees or vendors were "complicit in facilitating the crimes alleged in the superseding indictment," promising to take action against anyone who violated the law or ethics rules.

"The allegations in this superseding indictment are alarming. The indictment alleges that Ald. Burke used his position and the tools of government to facilitate a criminal enterprise to enrich himself and cheat the residents of this city," Lightfoot said. " No official in this city — elected or appointed — should ever profit from his or her office. Given the serious nature of the allegations, and particularly the allegations that he abused his position as chairman of the Finance Committee, Ald. Burke must resign immediately. Given the serious criminal liability he faces, Ald. Burke can no longer continue to do his job honorably or effectively. It is in the best interests of all that he step aside so that the residents of the 14th Ward can be properly represented."

Burke and Andrews are due to be arraigned on June 4 in Chicago. An arraignment has yet to be scheduled for Cui, but he previously pleaded not guilty to the earlier charges.

Earlier:

• Ald. Ed Burke Charged With Attempted Extortion
• Burke Resigns As Chairman Of Finance Committee
• Burke Re-Elected To 13th Term As 14th Ward Alderman
• Chicago's Clout Candidates For Mayor Tainted By Burke Indictment
• Lake Forest Man Charged With Bribing Ald. Ed Burke, Lying To FBI