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Chicago Tribune: Feds charge Ald. Edward Burke, allege wiretap on cellphone captures him in attempted extortion
Longtime Ald. Edward Burke, one of Chicago’s most powerful figures and a vestige of the city’s old Democratic machine, has often been considered too clever and sophisticated to be caught blatantly using his public office to enrich himself.
But after years of dodging investigations while watching dozens of his colleagues hauled off to prison, Burke has been accused of crossing the line himself — and doing so in a quintessential Chicago way.
Chicago Tribune: Campaign money tied to Ald. Edward Burke’s alleged extortion scheme was intended for County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, sources say
The campaign contribution that federal prosecutors allege powerful Ald. Edward Burke requested as part of an extortion scheme was intended for Cook County Board President and Chicago mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.
In a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday, federal authorities alleged that Burke illegally solicited a campaign donation from an executive with a restaurant company for an unnamed politician. Burke made the request around December 2017, at the same time authorities alleged he tried to extort executives with a company that owns fast-food restaurants in the Chicago region and was seeking approval of permits for remodeling work at a location in Burke’s ward.
Chicago Sun-Times: Emanuel wants Burke out as Finance chairman after feds charge alderman
Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants Ald. Edward Burke (14th) out as chairman of the City Council’s Finance Committee — and the votes would probably be there to make it happen — now that federal corruption charges have been filed against Chicago’s most powerful and longest-serving alderman.
“Based on what we’ve seen in the complaint, the mayor believes it is unacceptable for him to continue as chairman of the Finance Committee,” a top mayoral aide, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Chicago Sun-Times just minutes after reading the 37-page complaint filed against Burke.
Champaign News-Gazette: Put the brakes on gas tax idea
With a new governor, there’s a new move in Illinois to raise the state’s motor fuel tax, which has been 19 cents a gallon since 1990. The proceeds of any increase in the fuel tax would go to a much-needed capital plan. But before the Legislature and governor approve a fuel tax increase, they should consider other sources and determine whether the federal gas tax is being raised as well.
Two outgoing officials are pushing a plan to raise Illinois’ 19-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax, unchanged since 1990, to help fund a long-deferred capital program for roads, bridges and mass transit projects. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel improbably suggested doubling the tax rate or raising it even higher. And Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn, who left his position on Monday, said Illinois is falling behind its Midwestern neighbors in terms of paying for needed capital improvements.
Associated Press: Illinois officials agree to settle prison health lawsuit
A court-appointed expert would guide the overhaul of health care for Illinois prison inmates in a proposed federal consent decree filed Thursday.
Lawyers for approximately 40,000 state prison inmates announced that the Illinois Department of Corrections’ agreement would settle an eight-year-old federal lawsuit alleging that prison health care is so inadequate it has led to needless deaths.
Chicago Tribune: CTA completes 95th Street Red Line station — most costly in agency history
The CTA on Friday morning plans to open the northern terminal of the 95th Street Red Line station, marking the substantial completion of the most costly station project in the agency’s history.
The $280 million project replaces the original 50-year-old rail and bus terminal at the southern end of the Red Line, which runs along the Dan Ryan Expressway. The station, one of the busiest on the CTA system, serves 20,000 daily commuters and sees about 1,000 CTA, Pace and Greyhound bus trips on an average weekday, CTA officials said.
Daily Southtown: Ex-Oak Forest fire chief charged with theft of city funds to pay for wife's auto repairs
The former fire chief of Oak Forest, who resigned two years ago amid an investigation into questionable purchase invoices and was reassigned as a lieutenant, is accused of using city funds to pay for his wife’s vehicle repairs, according to court documents.
David G. Griffin, 46, was arrested Dec. 28 and charged with felony theft, official misconduct and forgery, records show.
WBEZ: Chicago Slashes Number Of Overcrowded Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools considers only 34 of its more than 500 schools overcrowded, a 60 percent reduction since the state started requiring the school district to publish such data in 2012.
The district published new numbers late last week, in time to meet the state deadline. So-called space utilization data is controversial because is has been used to justify closing schools.
Rockford Register-Star: Winnebago County Board committee votes to reduce chairman’s authority
A newly formed County Board panel moved Thursday to strip board Chairman Frank Haney of some of his authority by changing who manages the county’s top administrator.
The Personnel and Policies Committee voted 6-1 Thursday to have the Winnebago County administrator report to the County Board rather than the board chairman. The move comes on the heels of last month’s County Board meeting in which Haney was asked by a handful of current and former board members to resign.