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The Latest Breaking News from Virginia Kendall

Longest-serving Chicago City Council member gets 2 years in prison for corruption

The longest-serving City Council member in Chicago history has been sentenced to two years in prison for corruption

The Independent UK

Chicago's once-powerful Ed Burke faces sentencing Monday, 'very humbling' days could be ahead

Nearly a decade has passed since an Illinois politician as significant as Burke faced sentencing at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. The need to send a message to others is sure to be on the judge’s mind when she makes her decision.

Chicago Sun-Times

Ed Burke’s Field Museum move may not have been unusual, but it shouldn’t be the norm

This is a warning to everyone else in the political business who thinks its OK to make an oblique threat that is never followed through on. Don’t do it.

Chicago Sun-Times

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Feds close corruption case against Ed Burke by telling jurors his words on secret recordings are ‘absolutely devastating’

“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.”

Chicago Sun-Times

Prosecutors ‘didn’t have the decency’ to call their key witness in Ed Burke’s corruption trial, defense says in closing arguments

“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.

Chicago Sun-Times

U.S. Supreme Court again refuses to block Illinois’ assault weapons ban

The high court had been asked to issue an injunction that would have blocked the year-old law, which prohibits the possession, manufacture or sale of semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines.

Chicago Sun-Times

Defense: ‘Computer mistake,’ not pressure from Ed Burke, caused delays in Burger King work

City Hall bureaucracy took center stage in former Ald. Ed Burke’s corruption trial Thursday as one of the finer disputed points in the case came to a head.

Chicago Sun-Times

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Landing a ‘tuna,’ lobbing an F-bomb — Burke’s famous quotes played for jurors after defense mistrial denial

U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall denied a request for mistrial over a remark about the ‘Chicago way of doing business’ being ‘very corrupt.’ That allowed prosecutors to proceed with recordings of Burke and witness testimony.

Chicago Sun-Times

Mistrial in Burke case? Judge to rule on defense objection to ‘very corrupt’ remark during corruption trial

When Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur explained that she did not expect Amtrak executive Ray Lang to make the comment, U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall quickly asked, ‘What were you expecting him to say?’

Chicago Sun-Times

COVID-19 dogs Burke trial, but no plans to halt rest of week’s testimony

COVID-19 is arguably one of the reasons it took so long for the feds to take former Ald. Ed Burke to trial in the first place. The FBI raided his offices five years ago this week. Criminal charges followed in 2019, but the pandemic helped scuttle plans to begin the…

Chicago Sun-Times

Ed Burke’s corruption trial to shift into high gear, jury seated, opening statements to begin soon

U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall, prosecutors and defense attorneys have chosen 12 jurors at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse who will hear evidence that was used in 2019 to level criminal charges against Burke in a push against old-school, Chicago-style corruption.

Chicago Sun-Times

Ed Burke trial paused for a week after lawyer tests positive for COVID-19

Burke’s trial was expected to last six weeks, but the slow jury selection and COVID-19 delay threaten to push the trial deep into the holiday season.

Chicago Sun-Times

Judge promises opening statements in Ed Burke’s trial by Thursday afternoon

The comments will kick off the highly anticipated case dating back five years. It upended Chicago’s mayoral campaign in 2019 — first through a raid of Burke’s offices, criminal charges, and the disclosure that Ald. Danny Solis spent two years recording Burke.

Chicago Sun-Times

Public corruption display at federal courthouse covered at request of Ed Burke’s lawyer as jury selection drags on

Potential jurors in Burke’s case have been spending time in the ceremonial courtroom of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, which is right across the hall from the public corruption display. Potential jurors could be seen walking through the hallway Tuesday.

Chicago Sun-Times

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Chicago Sun-Times

Ed Burke corruption trial off to slow start as once powerful politician faces those who may decide his fate

Burke wore a gray suit and tie with an American flag pin on his lapel. From time to time he could be seen reviewing paperwork, including questionnaires filled out by the potential jurors. But he mostly seemed to be taking it all in.

Chicago Sun-Times

Jury selection begins as Ed Burke, ‘figurehead of the old regime,’ faces historic corruption trial

The stage has been set for another legal clash at the Dirksen courthouse. But it’s unclear whether another central political figure, former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis, will make an appearance in the courtroom.

Chicago Sun-Times

‘Common sense’ doesn’t explain City Council, so judge to allow Chicago ‘civics lesson’ for Burke jurors

Political science professor Constance Mixon’s testimony about government operations will be crucial to helping jury understand the racketeering case against former City Council member Ed Burke, prosecutors say.

Chicago Sun-Times

Meet the therapy dogs who will have a front row seat at Ed Burke’s trial

Birdie and Junebug are Bernese Mountain Dogs who have been fixtures at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse for years. It’s not uncommon to see them trailing Judge Virginia Kendall through the hallways or up onto her courtroom bench.

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Chicago Sun-Times

Rahm or Ed? Expert quizzed on who had most clout in preview of possible Burke trial testimony

U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall held Tuesday’s hearing to determine whether Elmhurst University political science professor Constance Mixon should be allowed to testify during ex-Ald. Ed Burke’s trial.

Chicago Sun-Times

Burke lawyers want to question jurors about Israel-Hamas war after judge refuses to block comments about Jewish people

Citing demonstrations at Federal Plaza, defense attorneys warn the issue is “just going to create havoc for the court, and all of us, because it’s not going away.”

Chicago Sun-Times

Jurors in corruption trial of Ed Burke will not hear any mention of Donald Trump when they listen to secret recordings

Burke’s defense team had asked that any mention of the former alderman’s work for Trump International Hotel & Tower be barred from the trial, arguing the former president was “despised by a significant percentage of the population.”

Chicago Sun-Times

War has judge mulling whether jurors should hear Burke’s comments about Jewish people at his trial next month

Prosecutors have called the words of ex-Ald. Edward M. Burke “distasteful” but argued they go to the heart of his alleged scheme.

Chicago Sun-Times

Defense hints at strategy as lawyers prepare for ex-City Council dean’s long-awaited trial

Former Ald. Ed Burke is accused of using his seat on the City Council to steer business to his private law firm amid schemes that involved the Old Post Office, a Burger King at 41st Street and Pulaski Road, and a Binny’s Beverage Depot.

Chicago Sun-Times

Ed Burke once bragged about his work for Trump — now he doesn’t want jurors to know

Lawyers for the former Chicago City Council member argue that the former president is under indictment himself and “despised by a significant percentage of the population.”

Chicago Sun-Times

Feds say they’ll answer Ed Burke’s question about Danny Solis testimony by Aug. 31

Solis’ public testimony more than four years after he was outed as a government cooperator could turn out to be among the most closely watched in years at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, if it happens.

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