The Illinois Supreme Court elected Anne Burke chief justice as Ald. Ed Burke faces a 14-count indictment on federal corruption charges.

Ald. Ed Burke has long been criticized for operating a lucrative law business in the politically clouted world of Cook County property tax appeals, a world in which the speaker of the Illinois House of Representative continues to make money.

Chicago’s longest-serving alderman pleaded not guilty to a host of new federal corruption charges.

What’s important for Illinoisans to know now is not just whether politically powerful people such as Burke and Madigan broke the law, but how the law itself encourages indecent behavior.

Madigan has long been criticized for his control of a lucrative law firm specializing in Cook County property tax appeals.

A federal corruption charge against Chicago Ald. Ed Burke has led peers to hand control of the $100 million-a-year workers’ compensation program to the city finance department. Burke, who had overseen the program for decades, fought program oversight and staffed it with political allies.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel ordered an audit of the city’s $100 million-a-year workers’ compensation program following Ald. Ed Burke’s resignation as finance committee chair. Burke has long fought program oversight.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Jan. 4 that longtime Ald. Ed Burke resigned as chairman of the city’s finance committee. The move came the day after federal agents served Burke an attempted extortion charge.

Federal prosecutors claim Burke used his position as alderman to solicit business for his law firm, which specializes in Cook County property tax appeals. Felony attempted extortion could come with up to 20 years in prison.