Wife of indicted Chicago alderman named chief justice of Illinois Supreme Court

Abraham Lincoln is turning over in his grave

Here's a question the mainstream media should be asking: Do Anne and Ed Burke file joint tax returns?

Only in Illinois, the state the loses 313 people per day, can something like what you'll read about now occur.

From CBS Chicago:

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke has been named the court's next chief justice.

The state’s highest court selected Anne Burke earlier this week. The 13-year veteran of the court will start her three-year term Oct. 26.

A Tuesday court statement says she’ll be the third female chief justice on the 200-year-old court, following current Justice Rita Garman and late Justice Mary Ann McMorrow. She'll succeed Chief Justice Lloyd Karmeier.

Burke’s husband, once-powerful Ald. Ed Burke, has been on the Chicago’s City Council for 50 years. He was charged this year with trying to extort executives seeking city remodeling permits. He has pleaded not guilty.

Ed Burke for decades was the chairman of the City Council Finance Committee--meanwhile his law firm was raking in millions in tax appeal business, a clear conflict of interest.

Both Burkes are Democrats, Ed is the Democratic committeeman of Chicago's 14th Ward.

The Illinois Policy Institute weighs in:

Justice Anne Burke saddled the Illinois Supreme Court with Chicago’s political baggage in January 2018 when she and Ed Burke held a fundraiser at their home in support of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s unsuccessful mayoral bid.

Ald. Ed Burke’s extortion charge the following year involved the allegation that he coerced the Burger King franchise owners to contribute to Preckwinkle’s campaign, pressuring the then-candidate to distance herself from the alderman and return the $116,000 raised at the event.

In January 2019, Preckwinkle told the Chicago Tribune that it was Anne Burke – not her husband – who arranged the fundraiser, despite Ed Burke's name appearing on the event invitation. But the Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct prohibits judges from endorsing or raising funds for political candidates.

Preckwinkle hired the Burkes’ son in 2014 to a county position that earned him an annual salary of nearly $100,000.

Decline and fall.