Alderman Ed Burke has just been convicted of extortion, racketeering, and bribery. He was found guilty by a jury of nine women and three men. He awaits sentencing in June. He is 80 years old and has been a powerhouse politician with an outstanding career as Chicago’s most senior alderman, serving the 14th ward from 1969 to 2023.
Burke is a second-generation politician, following in his father’s footsteps. A former policeman, he was part of the politicos from the Daley team to establish what is popularized as “the Chicago way” of getting things done in the city. A historian, he was always ready to provide info about the city, usually a little-known fact.
Called the “Dean of Politics,” he ran City Council, utilizing every ounce of aldermanic prerogative until it was eliminated by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. He played the political game to the hilt and supported his colleagues. He was a stand-up guy; if he said he was with you, he was.
Burke was the second “ED” to lead the infamous Council Wars that hindered Harold Washington’s Administration. When the demographic composition of his ward changed, he changed. He learned to speak Spanish. He knocked on doors to introduce himself to his new constituents as he spoke Spanish. The Burke political story ends as he was set up by former Alderman Danny Solis, 25th Ward, wearing a wire to trap Burke’s wrongdoing.
Burke has a different side to him. I wrote an article when N’DIGO was publishing a newspaper about children being born into addiction. A Northwestern University physician discussed the dangers of having a cocaine-dependent newborn. Back then, attorney Ann Burke gave me a call. She was curious about this physician. She required assistance and comprehension. Why? She and her husband had adopted such a baby. The infant went by the name “Baby T.” Ann Burke was enthralled with the mother when she entered her courtroom. I recommended that she see the doctor, who later on became the Burke’s friend and counselor.
Hold the infant. The doctor told them to be patient. The baby needs a lot of affection. Ann sat her family down to discuss the needs of the newest family member. Whenever I saw the Burkes at events, I would always inquire about the Black boy child they bravely adopted into their family. I saw him develop and learn. At any time, Alderman Burke would go into his pocket and say, “Let me show you, my son.” I noticed his driver’s license and his school photos. He was wearing a uniform when I spotted him. He was attending the Military Career Academy when he was in high school. He attended a university. Eddie became a parent to Baby T and had a playpen in his office at City Hall.
Some thought it very odd that the Burke family adopted a Black child. The love was real, authentic, and serious. Rev. Al Sampson and others protested the child being in the Burke family. He was Black and needed a Black family, they claimed. Sampson protested, walking with a baby stroller in front of the Burke home. Al and I exchanged some remarks. Would Al adopt the baby? I asked. No, was the response. However, he doubted the Burkes’ genuineness. I publically defended them. I noticed gentle, loving faces as they talked about this small infant. I challenged Al and his ministerial mission. We had a nasty radio argument.
Baby T is now an adult, a police officer. Successful. Educated. On point. On purpose. He survived because the Burkes took him into their home and loved him. He did not return to a home that was destined to produce negative results. Seriously.
This is the Burke family I knew. Burke was a councilman who was the go-to guy. If you had a problem, he would help if he could. He was straightforward.
When I was an executive at City Colleges of Chicago, it was common to receive calls from politicians on Monday mornings requesting a job for a relative, a constituent, a neighbor, or a friend. Sometimes, the politician was accommodated depending on the resume or, job experience, or educational level. The horse-trading was not for funding but for the appreciation of position. Mayor Harold Washington even called for jobs.
I just wanted to go on record to talk fully about Burke. His tenure was not all bad. He helped when he could. He knew the value of his support. I know Burke as an adoptive parent. He gave a child a family. He grew a young man. The boy was Black.
At the end of his career, Burke is guilty of trusting the wrong guy, his fellow councilman, Danny Solis, who was a mole. This is not the first time politicians in Chicago have met moles. It’s the first time another council member was a mole. I recall another Burke. Not to romanticize. What he and his partner in crime, Eddie Vrdolyak, did to Harold Washington in the Council Wars was shameful, and they both should have been punished for their sinful maneuvers. But when judging a person, you have to look at everything. This is not to defend Burke, but it is to look at him in full measure. Not a bad guy who trusted a mole.
