Alderman Ed Burke, 75, the longtime chairman of the Chicago City Council’s powerful finance committee, was indicted June 4 on 14 counts of racketeering, attempted extortion, conspiracy and attempting to use interstate commerce to facilitate unlawful activity.
The 59-page indictment details numerous instances of Burke using his position to benefit himself, his friends or his private law firm, Klafter & Burke. An FBI informant recorded Burke telling executives from 601W Companies, the developer of the $500-million redevelopment of Chicago’s Old Main Post Office building, that they should consider hiring his private law firm to get public money and faster approval for the project.