Ed Burke sentenced.
Top ten most outlandish quotes from his corruption trial
Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke was sentenced to two years in prison and a $2 million fine after being convicted last December of 13 counts of extortion, bribery, and racketeering charges. Federal prosecutors had sought a 10-year sentence for Burke, who is 80 years old.
Under existing Illinois law, Burke may be legally allowed to pay his entire fine using his campaign war chest. Republicans have long sought to close this loophole and prohibit convicted politicians from using campaign funds to pay legal fees or corruption fines.
Burke must surrender on September 23 to begin serving his prison sentence.
Burke’s trial lasted six weeks at a federal courthouse in Chicago, and the proceedings culminated with his conviction on December 21. He served for 54 years on the Chicago City Council and spent just under $4 million in legal fees during the trial. Burke’s trial was famous for a number of outlandish quotes from lawyers, key witnesses, and from secret, undercover audio recordings. Here is a Top Ten List of the Most Outlandish Quotes so far:
“As far as I’m concerned, they can go f— themselves,” Judge denies Ed Burke’s mistrial motion, jurors hear ‘tuna’ and F-bomb recordings – Chicago Sun-Times (suntimes.com)
“So, did we, uh, land the tuna? If we land the tuna there certainly will be a day of accounting, you can count on that.” Ex-Ald. Ed Burke’s Defense Hammers FBI Informant as Closing Arguments Conclude: Danny Solis a ‘Failure,’ ‘Con Man’ | Chicago News | WTTW
“Well, maybe if they don’t have any access to the property because the driveway isn’t legal, they might get the message.” Feds play recording of call with Gery Chico in Ed Burke corruption trial – Chicago Sun-Times (suntimes.com)
“If Alderman Burke asked you questions it could be terrifying.” ‘If Ald. Burke Asked You Questions It Could Be Terrifying’: ‘Fear Factor’ Takes Center Stage in Corruption Trial | Chicago News | WTTW
“Next to the mayor, Burke is arguably the most powerful politician in Chicago. He has been in office for 48 years, and without his signature, we cannot get a permit.” Ex-Ald. Ed Burke trial: Burger King exec testifies (chicagotribune.com)
“Where’s the beef? You’ve gotten nothing but bun from the government so far.” Ex-Ald. Ed Burke’s Defense Hammers FBI Informant as Closing Arguments Conclude: Danny Solis a ‘Failure,’ ‘Con Man’ | Chicago News | WTTW
“They’re just pretty naïve on this stuff, so we’ve had to drag their asses along the way, but we’ll have a nice event.” Feds play recording of call with Gery Chico in Ed Burke corruption trial – Chicago Sun-Times (suntimes.com)
“Hey, you’re not gonna get in any trouble, and I’m certainly not gonna get in any trouble at this stage of the game.” Ed Burke trial Chicago: Judge denies mistrial request after witness refers to ‘Chicago way of doing business’ as ‘corrupt’ – ABC7 Chicago
“Exhibit A in the world of people who are corrupt and untruthful. The government told him what to say and then he spit it back at Ed Burke, a whole pack of lies, and he did it for two years with one object in mind: keep himself from going to prison.” Ex-Ald. Ed Burke trial: Solis testimony could be risky in Burke defense (chicagotribune.com)
“If we’re not signed up, we’re not going to do heavy lifting. The cash register has not rung yet.” Former Alderman and FBI Informant Danny Solis Finishes Testimony, as Ed Burke Trial Heads for Closing Arguments | Chicago News | WTTW
Pritzker Is PROUD Of This??
Governor Pritzker just signed House Bill 5005 which expands a slew of tax credits for things like electric vehicle manufacturers, quantum computing and filmmakers. The bill carves out large tax advantages for big business while he and his Democrat Supermajority continue to squeeze the life out of small businesses and taxpayers.
Pritzker said ‘there’s a lot to brag about in Illinois’ and continues to claim that our state is an economic powerhouse, when the facts speak otherwise. A recent analysis by Money Geek (a personal finance site) calculated that Illinois is the worst state overall placing the tax burden on the average citizen, and they graded our state with a big fat ‘F’.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_f46dc520-33f7-11ef-9f5b-97e6dd3cd054.html
Illinois’ 4th Of July Skyrocket: Gas Prices
On July 1, the state motor fuel tax will increase to 47 cents per gallon (a 28 cent increase since 2019 when Governor Pritzker doubled it and added annual inflationary increases so his Democrat Supermajority would no longer have to face unpopular gas tax votes).
This will significantly impact nearly 4 million Illinois motorists who will be traveling for the 4th of July holiday.
Fill up outside of Illinois whenever you can!! Don’t give Pritzker Democrats your hard-earned money.
If you want to learn more about who is responsible for this gas tax hike and why it’s DESIGNED to keep Illinois gas taxes going up in perpetuity, listen to this interview with Wirepoints’ Ted Dabrowski on the Ramblin’ Ray Stevens Show:
Don’t Fall For Pritzker’s Con
Despite all of his political hot air, ILLINOIS’ ECONOMY IS SUFFERING.
Illinois is tied for the 3rd worst unemployment rate in the country as of May, 2024 (according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). It continues to exceed the national average of 4% and is higher than ALL neighboring states.
Governor Pritzker and his Democrat Supermajority refuse to address the underlying causes: fiscal irresponsibility, regulatory burdens and suffocating taxes (just to name a few).
Until and unless that changes, Illinois will continue to circle the drain.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-third-worst-unemployment-rate-in-the-nation
Adding to the problem is a steep decline in Illinois’ labor force. Illinois Policy Institute explains here:
Another Stupid Strategy Coming From Illinois Democrats
Do they not understand that the very people they are targeting are the ones who are footing the bill for all of their BAD ideas??
A recent Moody’s report rates Illinois as a below average performer in job and income growth, yet Governor Pritzker is poised to sign legislation that will potentially subject business owners to frivolous lawsuits. House Bill 2161 seeks to prevent ‘discrimination’ by an employer based on an employee’s family responsibilities.
This is totally unnecessary as there are already laws on the books against workplace discrimination. This will only create more problems for Illinois to attract businesses.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_060c6438-3404-11ef-a99d-d795b95ad625.html
Double Standard At Its Best
Interesting…
Since the George Floyd riots in the summer of 2020, Illinois Democrats have been giving a free pass to just about every criminal ‘protestor’ out there, and lawmakers have helped them do that while they simultaneously bash, defund and hamstring law enforcement.
Now that it’s time for THEIR Democrat National Convention to be held in Chicago, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has declared that those policies should be scrapped, and those policies won’t be in effect for the convention. Apparently protests against Democrats are not to be tolerated.
Hm.
In the meantime, there is a 50/50 chance your 911 call won’t be answered anyway if you find yourself in a bad situation.
It’s probably best to just stay away from Chicago during the convention (if you can).
Town Hall Time
Stay tuned for future town halls in and around the district.
It is important for us all to be informed and engaged citizens.
I will give you the details on the budget and the bills that were passed. There is always time from questions from the audience. But you don’t have to wait for a town hall, email or call my office if you have any specific questions about state operations and I will do my best to answer them.
Where Did Our 4th Of July Traditions Originate?
Independence Day has been a federal holiday since 1941, but the festivities celebrating America’s independence date back to the American Revolution.
John Adams once wrote to his wife Abigail that Independence Day “will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival…and should include Pomp and Parade…Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other”.
Let the festivities begin! Or, should we say, continue!
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/july-4th
Here is a map of the new 101st House District. Use this link for a clearer picture and to enter your address to see if you live in the district: https://repcmiller.com/district/
As your state representative, my office is available to assist you with any issues you may have when interacting with a state agency.
Please call our office at 217.508.4108 to get help or schedule an appointment to see me.
The office is located at 1113 Lincoln Ave, Charleston and is open Mon-Fri from 9am- 4 pm.