November 2023 trial date set for indicted Ald. Ed Burke, after lengthy delays in racketeering case
CHICAGO (CBS) -- After years of delays in his federal corruption case, indicted Ald. Edward Burke (14th) still has a long wait ahead for his trial, after a judge on Tuesday set jury selection to begin in November 2023.
U.S. District Judge Robert Dow set the Nov. 6, 2023, trial date during a status hearing Tuesday afternoon for Burke and his co-defendants.
That means the trial won't begin until nearly five years after federal agents raided his ward and City Hall offices in late November 2018. Burke, the longest-serving member of the Chicago City Council, was charged two months later on attempted extortion charges, and later indicted on racketeering charges accusing him of using his city position to steer business to his private law firm.
According to federal prosecutors, Burke's schemes included efforts to shake down developers behind the renovation of the Old Post Office downtown, a Chinese businessman seeking a sign permit for a project on the Northwest Side, and owners of a Burger King franchise.
His co-defendants include ward assistant Pete Andrews and businessman Charles Cui.
The case has been delayed for years, in part due to the pandemic, and also over lengthy court battles over the evidence prosecutors gathered against Burke and his co-defendants. Last month, a judge denied the defense team's bid to throw out some of the evidence in the case, including wiretap recordings.
The November 2023 trial date means Burke will get his second chance to seek reelection while facing federal charges. He was easily reelected in 2019 despite the charges against him. The next municipal election is set for Feb. 28, 2023.
The trial is expected to last six weeks.
The case against Burke was built in large part with the help of former Ald. Danny Solis (25th), who cooperated with federal investigators after being targeted for his own misdeeds, and agreed to wear a wire against Burke and others.
Solis is facing federal bribery charges of his own, but could see that case dismissed as part of a deal with the feds if he continues cooperating and does not commit any more crimes during the term of the deal.
The so-called deferred prosecution agreement does not specify which cases Solis is cooperating in, but it already has been revealed he wore a wire for the FBI in federal investigations against Burke and former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, who both have been indicted in separate cases.
Solis' deal requires him to appear to testify in any case at the request of federal prosecutors, and provide "complete and truthful testimony," meaning he could potentially testify against Burke at his trial.