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| BURKE: Feds get 35 more days to investigate |
We
learned back in January that a criminal complaint was filed against the
long-time (seriously, a half-century) alderman – claiming that his conduct in
dealing with the operators of a Burger King franchise in the Gage Park
neighborhood bordered on criminal.
REMEMBER,
THOSE OPERATORS were told about the types of campaign contributions they ought
to make to certain political people if they wanted Burke, in his aldermanic
role, to sign off on the permits required for the renovations the operators
desired to make.
Admittedly,
it should be noted that these operators were not from Chicago. They came from
Texas, and it seems they’re used to being able to push political people around.
Rather than having political people tell them what needs to be done.
But
anyway, they turned to federal prosecutors, who then proceeded with the
criminal complaint – all the while having their investigation continue.
Theoretically, May 3 was the deadline by which prosecutors had to be ready to
hand down an indictment – or else see their case get tossed out.
But
on Thursday, federal prosecutor asked for more time. The request they made
seeks 35 more days, which would make the new deadline June 7.
WHICH
MEANS WE’LL have to wait another month to figure out what could become of
Burke. Will the feds come up with a more significant case against Burke – one that
could be much more significant in terms of legal consequences for the alderman?
Will
they have to maintain the same legal case they’ve put forth thus far – that Burke
was shaking down the operators of the Burger King franchise in his home neighborhood?
Or
is it possible that all of this legal mess could wind up withering away into a
big nothingness.
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| Couldn't beat Burke, so Toni taken down |
Almost
as though Burke would become the political equivalent of one-time Chicago mob
boss Tony Accardo – who upon his death in 1992 had it noted prominently that despite
the decades of allegations of criminal activity he was involved in, he himself
never spent a day in prison.
BUT
BACK TO Eddie Burke – who in some ways is the intriguing part of the most
recent election cycle in Chicago.
Despite
the people who want to think that “Reform!!!” has come to Chicago in the form
of Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot and those new aldermen who want to adopt the
Democratic Socialist label to identify themselves, the reality that some things
remain the same is evidenced by Burke.
Who
managed to overcome an attempt by Latino political activists to dump Burke from
his aldermanic seat. He managed to win re-election with relative ease – not having
to endure a run-off election of any sort.
Seriously,
2019 was the election cycle in which people interested in change had to settle
for costing the re-election of long-time good-government type Toni Preckwinkle.
Meanwhile, Burke remains in his aldermanic post – albeit without the Finance
chairmanship that gave him much of his political power.
WHICH
MEANS THOSE people who want to see Eddie Burke dumped from office, but couldn’t
beat him at the polling place, are now counting on federal investigators to
come up with the goods that could create a politically-humiliating trial –
along with the possibility of Burke being sent to prison while in his mid-to-late
70s.
But
now, we’re going to have to wait another month or so to see what kind of goods
the G-men have come up with on Burke – if anything at all.
Burke
himself is playing the cocky role, in that his attorneys aren’t doing anything
to resist the delay – which technically he’d have a right to do. What’s another
month if it means the case comes to an end.
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