Illinois

Longtime Ald. Edward Burke has spent decades at the pinnacle of the city’s power structure, but in the end, he may have buried himself with his own words.

The FBI had Burke’s cellphone tapped over at least an eight-month period, and during that time, at least 9,475 calls were made or received on the phone, according to the bombshell corruption charges unveiled Thursday.

Agents were listening in as the powerful Finance Committee chairman allegedly talked about extorting two executives seeking to renovate a fast-food restaurant in Burke’s ward. When the businessmen didn’t seem to be cooperating, Burke plotted with a ward staffer on how to play “hardball,” holding up permits and sending a city worker to the site to harass them with unwarranted citations, according to the charges.

Legal experts who spoke to the Chicago Tribune said the fact that Burke himself was captured on recordings allegedly talking about the shakedown scheme makes it an extremely difficult case to defend — if not a slam-dunk for the government.

More at https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-alderman-ed-burke-wiretap-20190104-story.html