Stalled by the coronavirus pandemic for three months, the criminal case against Ald. Ed Burke (14th Ward) intensified this week with a spate of court filings, signaling a new phase in the legal fight that reshaped Chicago politics.
Ed Burke


House Speaker Michael Madigan has shelled out big money from his campaign fund to pay attorneys – and he isn’t the only public official to do so.

Just weeks into 2020, fresh headlines are shining light on politicians behaving unethically. Our politics team digs into those stories and more in our weekly roundtable.

Ald. Ed Burke faces federal corruption charges, but his wife is in line for a promotion. Our politics team takes on that story and more in our weekly roundtable.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot wades into the murky waters of the lead pipe debate. Our politics team takes on that story and more in our weekly roundtable.

Federal agents have executed a search warrant at the South Side ward office of Chicago Ald. Carrie Austin. A source close to the matter says Austin has been under federal investigation for several years.

It’s a program that costs the city more than $100 million a year, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot says that under Ald. Ed Burke, it was “ripe for corruption.”

Did the Chicago police union instruct cops not to police during the violent Memorial Day weekend? Mayor Lori Lightfoot clarifies a rumor she says she heard in this wide-ranging, one-on-one interview.

Ald. Ed Burke gets his day in court. Gov. J.B. Pritzker gets his budget priorities passed. Chicago grapples with a spike in violence. And the Cubs get some much-needed pitching help.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants to set some restrictions on outside employment for aldermen. We analyze the latest batch of financial disclosure forms to find out who could be impacted.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot is out with a new round of ethics proposals. Our politics team tackles that and more in our weekly roundtable.

Ald. Ed Burke pleads not guilty to 14 counts of racketeering, attempted bribery and extortion. A look at how he amassed, and used, his power over the years.

It’s been a tumultuous week in local politics. We break down the Burke indictment and address the fallout. Plus: Mayor Lightfoot’s dramatic first City Council meeting, the deadline dash in Springfield and more.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot questions whether Ald. Ed Burke, the 50-year veteran of the City Council, can effectively represent his ward while under indictment on racketeering and other charges.

The U.S. attorney’s office returns a sweeping indictment against longtime 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke. Mayor Lori Lightfoot calls the allegations “alarming” and says Burke “must resign immediately.”

Four Chicago aldermen weigh in on the new power dynamics at City Hall as Mayor Lori Lightfoot takes control – and a longtime alderman is indicted.