Mariah Woelfel | WBEZ
Reporter
A jury of nine women and three men heard from 38 witnesses over 16 days of testimony as prosecutors made their case that Burke was “a bribe taker” and “an extortionist.”
Former and current elected officials comment on the conviction of the longest-serving, once-powerful dean of the Chicago City Council. ‘The tyranny of Ed Burke is over,’ former Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
The case against the former Chicago alderperson has been pending for nearly five years.
“What’s the best evidence of defendant Burke’s intent?” asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker. “The words that came out of his mouth.”
“They ran an undercover investigation on Mr. Burke for 30 months — with the star witness being Danny Solis — and they didn’t have the decency to bring him to you,” said attorney Joseph Duffy.
‘You have heard about a pattern of unlawful activity,’ prosecutor Diane MacArthur said. ‘Standing at the center of that steady drumbeat of unlawful activity is this man, Edward Burke.’
Ed Burke’s defense attorneys made good on their promise to call Solis to testify, forcing him out into the open nearly five years after the Chicago Sun-Times revealed his cooperation with the feds in January 2019.
The new rules were prompted after a number of intense and chaotic City Council meetings.
Burke’s defense team has promised to summon former Ald. Danny Solis to the witness stand — finally giving Burke the chance to confront the man who famously turned on him while wearing an FBI wire.