Ed Burke Got Off Easy
Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke leaves the Dirksen Federal Building last November. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
NOTE: This story was originally posted for subscribers only. To receive subscriber-only newsletters and content, click here.
OPINION
At some point, a convicted politician in this state is going to be made an example of, right?
That’s feeling less and less likely each time.
Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke was sentenced to two years in federal prison Monday, half of the federal sentencing guidelines for his crimes.
More from our friend Jon Seidel of the Chicago Sun-Times:
U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall delivered a two-year prison sentence to the man who represented Chicago’s 14th Ward for 54 years and long ruled the Finance Committee only to be convicted in a historic trial of racketeering, bribery and attempted extortion. She told him to surrender Sept. 23 and ordered him to pay an unusually large fine of $2 million.
Still, the 80-year-old Burke had faced far worse in a courthouse where judges have spent years decrying corruption and have tried to send a message to officials who betray the public trust. Prosecutors originally sought a 10-year sentence, and guidelines called for up to eight years.
So when it neared time for Burke to learn his sentence, the mood in the courtroom turned somber. Burke’s wife, retired Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke, looked down and held a hand over her face as her husband spoke briefly to the judge.
“The blame for this is mine and mine alone,” Burke said, reading from a written statement with his hands upon the podium. “I regret the pain and the sorrow that I have caused my family and my dear friends.”
With the exception of former Governor [NAME REDACTED] who we don’t speak of in this newsletter, Burke is just another in a long list of convicted Illinois politicos who gets a slap on the wrist for betraying the public trust.
Better Government Association President David Greising echoed those concerns Monday as well.
“Today’s light sentence calls into question the principle of equality before the law. Despite Ed Burke’s betrayal of public trust, the powerful and connected of Chicago lined up to plead for leniency,” Greising said. Judge Kendall herself said she was influenced by this. But to those who believe in accountable government, it was a disappointing spectacle, putting personal allegiance ahead of the public interest, and should have had little weight on imposing a just sentence.”
Burke was fined $2 million for his financial crimes, but our friend Dan Mihalopoulos of WBEZ pointed out Burke was grandfathered into the campaign finance law prohibiting the use of political dollars for personal expenses.
He had more than $2 million in his campaign account when the law changed in 1998, so he can legally pay his fine with campaign cash.
Great.
I’m willing to listen to arguments that an 80-year-old man shouldn’t be socked away to prison for the rest of his life for a white collar crime. I don’t know Ed Burke, I’ve only ever been in the same place as him once when we were at separate tables at an Oak Brook steakhouse a few years ago.
But a crime is a crime. A criminal is a criminal. If you betray the public, you should pay. It’s a two year sentence. He’ll be out in one and it may be even less if someone who doesn’t like federal corruption cases winds up getting elected president.
Burke isn’t paying. And that’s wrong.
It’s time to use these penalties to put the hammer down and restore public trust.
