Ed Burke roundup
Monday, Dec 3, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Tribune looks at Burke’s ties to various mayoral candidates…
State Comptroller Susana Mendoza got her political start with Burke’s backing and considers him a friend, even celebrating with him as a guest at her wedding. She declined to discuss his federal heat.
City Hall veteran and attorney Gery Chico worked at Burke’s Finance Committee as a young researcher and long has considered him a close friend and mentor. He declined an interview.
Bill Daley is the son and brother of two former mayors who navigated the halls of power with Burke, the two families’ 11th and 14th wards rooted in the Southwest Side. For decades, each represented separate pillars of power with their own fiefdoms within the city’s political structure. He wouldn’t talk about Burke, who has made at least $30,000 in contributions to Daley family political funds over the years.
Neither would Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, a fellow party leader who has benefited from Burke’s support in the past.
Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas and former Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy also wanted no part of discussing how their desire to make City Hall more efficient and businesslike would intersect with Burke’s potential departure.
* Meanwhile, one of the things missing until now from the reporting on Ald. Ed Burke’s reelection race is that he’s currently facing four challengers. Three of those challengers have close ties to Chuy Garcia…
Rather than settle on one challenger to take Burke on, Garcia and his allies are attempting to give themselves options should Burke try to knock anyone off the ballot. Garcia says he wants to wait and see who emerges as the strongest possible challenger that can raise the most money before deciding on an endorsement.
I don’t believe that there’s an agreement yet for everybody else to drop out once Garcia’s organization makes its choice. Chuy might just be trying to put the best spin on this situation.
* Here are the three candidates with Garcia ties…
“I think it’s important that we give the community options,” says one of the candidates, Jaime Guzman, who worked as a staff member for Garcia on the Cook County Board. “It’s been a long time since the community has had a viable option. He’s lost touch with the community. His politics don’t resonate with the community; his relationship with Donald Trump doesn’t resonate with the community.” […]
“The community wants a progressive, reform candidate that’s going to change the way politics is going to be done,” said candidate Jose Torrez, a community organizer who has worked on multiple political campaigns for Garcia. “Not the way Ed Burke has been doing it. The community feels that this is the time. With this – hopefully – investigation, they feel that it’s time for Burke to go.” […]
Tanya Patino, a civil engineer for People’s Gas, is a third Garcia-aligned candidate. She’s also a youth soccer coach and mentor who has worked on Garcia campaigns, as well as campaigns for state Rep. Ortiz. She too jumped on Thursday’s raid to highlight her dissatisfaction with the way Burke has conducted himself as alderman, and said the federal investigation could be focused on a number of possible misdeeds.
Patino has close ties to Rep.-elect Ortiz, who defeated Rep. Dan Burke. Irene Corral is the fourth candidate and there’s not much info out there about her.
* Related…
* Chance the Reporter: Rapper takes jabs at Ed Burke, incumbent aldermen: The “Al Duhrman” character is a thinly veiled reference to Ald. Ed Burke, whose City Hall and ward offices were raided by the FBI Thursday. Based on the clothing worn by several interviewees, the video has been in the works for months. Bennett goes on to ask Duhrman if he believes “age factors in your position in City Council?” “Nah,” Duhrman says with a shrug. “I’m 75, and I’ve been in office since the ’60s. The people voted for my dad, he croaked, then the mayor appointed me. I just keep winning elections, baby.”
* Mayor Rahm Emanuel on raids at Ald. Ed Burke’s offices: ‘You don’t need me to guess about what are the implications’
* The ban man: A look at decades of Ald. Burke’s proposed bans
* Ald. Ed Burke’s insatiable fundraising: $12 million stockpiled, wants more
* What is the motive behind the raid on Ed Burke’s office?: Rick Pearson is joined by WTTW Ch.-11 correspondent, Paris Schutz, to discuss the law enforcement raid on Ed Burke’s offices. Paris shares his opinions as to what led to the raid and the political impact the raid could have.
- OOOps - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 2:19 pm:
Beware of the early morning knock knock. My guess is its something stupid, but when you’ve been at it this long, stupid becomes ok.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 2:23 pm:
While Dan Burke lost his seat and Chuy and his crew have gotten stronger and better organized to muscling on the streets and the back rooms, I still not totally convinced Ed Burke losing is a foregone conclusion.
I’d probably put Burke between 2.8-3 out of 5 getting thru this, electorally, without any more instances of the feds nosing about.
If you think that’s still high… this is an alderman with 50 years in his seat, $12 million or so in the bank, and still a semblance of a skeletal street crew to work precincts, given the Ward map of this 14th Ward makeup.
Anything less than 3.5 out of 5 is someone in serious trouble.
- cover - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 2:41 pm:
Ald. Burke had better hope that the race doesn’t go to a runoff, he could be in real danger of losing in a head-to-head race. The presence of multiple challengers might actually make the runoff more likely.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 2:43 pm:
===My guess is its something stupid===
So, you believe that the feds would conduct a coordinated daylight raid of two offices over trifling little matters.
I got a bridge I’d like to sell you, bub.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 3:04 pm:
Not a Burke fan, but it always sounds condescending to me when people speak for “the community” like everyone in the Ward is just going to agree with whatever they say.
- West Sider - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 3:14 pm:
I do not know what the fbies and the USA think/have on Eddie Berke, but if/when the knock comes, it will be a sad day for Illinois and Chicago. Chance is a smart kid- but he is a kid. When you are young all old men seem corupt, and out of touch.
- Steve - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 3:24 pm:
Alderman Burke is a known and effective quantity in his ward. He does deliver for the voters in his ward. With that big bank roll , he’ll be more difficult to beat than his brother was. Unless you have an indictment before the election, he’ll be a formidable even in a changing ward. Can a new guy deliver like Alderman Burke? The answer is probably no. However , all bets are off if he is indicted before election day.
- Steve - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 3:35 pm:
Think of it this way, right or wrong, few Aldermen have personally done more for their
constituents than Ed Burke. Why ? He had the power to get it done. The typical Alderman just doesn’t have the power . Many people might not like Burke. But, many people who do like him live in his ward and he has delivered. Many judges do have a connection to the 14th Ward. But, it isn’t just judges. It’s jobs in many places.
- Boone's is Back - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 3:46 pm:
To Rich’s point, in addition to the daylight aspect think about the timing. Less than a week after he files petitions and a couple of months before the election?
If the Trump investigation has shown us anything it’s that the FBI has protocols for investigations not interfering with elections. There is likely a “there” there for them to have done it the way that they did at the time that they did.
- Montrose - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 3:47 pm:
Steve- What I’m hearing in your argument is a romanticization of Chicago machine politics. I’m not sure if that is your goal, but that is the goal you have achieved.
- Practical Politics - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 5:46 pm:
I think Burke’s greatest legacy, often overlooked by all but the insiders, is his control of judicial slate making. For better or worse, the Cook County Circuit Court is populated by jurists approved by Burke and who helped enlarge his campaign funds with their “contributions.”
His property tax appeals business generates headlines, but his judicial slating is, arguably, more important.
- @misterjayem - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 6:09 pm:
“Chance is a smart kid- but he is a kid. When you are young all old men seem corupt, and out of touch.”
Chance didn’t raid Burke’s office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation did.
- MrJM
- Anonymous - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 7:05 pm:
The video where he kept giving the same answer to Amanda Vinicky for five minutes is a keeper.
://news.wttw.com/2018/11/29/fbi-raids-offices-14th-ward-ald-ed-burke
- Anonymous - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 7:07 pm:
Sorry bad link
https://news.wttw.com/2018/11/29/fbi-raids-offices-14th-ward-ald-ed-burke
- Steve - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 7:35 pm:
- Montrose -
I’m not romanticizing him at all. I’m just stating the facts on what he’s done for many in his ward. If the feds have a case against him , he deserves to get indicted. No one should be above the law. I think there should be term limits on all politicians in the state of Illinois. I think all politicians shouldn’t get public pensions. So, I’m no machine apologist.
- Keyrock - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 9:12 pm:
Practical Politics is right. While it’s not as monolithic as it used to be, the control of much of the Cook County judiciary by the remnant of the Regilar Democratic Organization is a major source of power.
- JakeCP - Monday, Dec 3, 18 @ 10:49 pm:
It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out. If Mendoza manages to stay on the ballot, then I wouldn’t be surprised to see Mendoza rally support for Burke. I believe he still has a great chance of winning this election.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 12:32 am:
Vipers, vipers, everywhere.
Some way, some how, Burke skated when he was definitely in the barrel in Operation Haunted Hall.
My conclusion was then, and is today, that he flipped and led the federales through the Byzantine web of contracts and subcontracts that took down HDO, Hired Trucks and more.
Back in the day, when I covered muni finance, I’d have occasion to seek out Burke for comment.
I’d call his office.
His assistant would ask me what I wanted to talk about, specifically.
A couple of hours later, Burke would call back, totally prepared, and as sharp as any politician you ever knew. Razor sharp.
Not only that, but he would let me know that he knew who I had already talked to on the issue.
Don’t for a second underestimate this cat. This ain’t his first rodeo.
He knows where all the bodies are buried, and he’s made a long life making sure he ain’t one of them.
Daley II, Burke, Madigan, Donavan… the Irish kinda made it in Chicago.
- 14 - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 12:43 am:
Agreed, @JakeCP. Susana Mendoza, running for Mayor, will publicly champion the cause of an alderman being sniffed about by the feds.
The rising tide created by said championining will raise both boats.