BREAKING NEWS
Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy by a federal jury for using the power of his elected office to win private law business.
Corruption in any level of government only further erodes public trust in all elected officials. That is why House Republicans have been working for years to strengthen anti-corruption laws in Illinois. It’s time to end the culture of corruption that has gripped our state for decades and pass sweeping ethics reforms now.
“As the longest serving Alderman in Chicago, Ed Burke controlled all the levers of power in the city. Along with Mike Madigan, the Daley’s and other powerful Democrat families, Burke also controlled the entirety of government in Illinois,” said Rep. Miller. “His conviction is a conviction of the entire Illinois Democrat party. It is utterly embarrassing that Burke’s wife sat as a supreme court justice during the entire time this corruption took place.”
Burke’s trial and conviction comes nearly five years after his initial attempted extortion charge in January 2019. The trial itself began on November 6, 2023, with jury selection. After nearly six weeks of testimony, the jury deliberated 23 hours before handing over the verdict today. Burke’s conviction adds to the long list of Democrats convicted of similar charges in Illinois over the last few years.
Rep. Miller added, “Illinois is a great state, but its government has been corrupted by these politicians. Illinois Policy Institute estimates that corruption costs our state $550 million per year. Other lawlessness, like illegal immigration will cost over one billion dollars this year. For too many years, the Democrats have decided what laws are enforced and what laws are ignored in my district, we’ve had enough of all of it.”