Anne Burke is the wife of alderman Burke See below:
BY TIM NOVAK Staff Reporter
With the Daley administration pointing the finger at Ald. Edward M. Burke for the extraordinary rate of injury claims filed by patronage workers, Burke fired back Friday, saying his staff has “done the best that it can” to prevent abuse and fraud.
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Burke’s comments came amid a Chicago Sun-Times investigation that has found:
• • One in five patronage workers named on a secret clout list kept by Mayor Daley’s then-patronage director filed workers compensation claims, an injury rate far greater than any occupation tracked by the federal Labor Department. Those claims have cost taxpayers more than $38 million.
• • Half of those patronage workers filed at least two injury claims, with a few filing a dozen or more.
• • An estimated 91 workers have been cleared to return to work but are sitting at home, collecting disability checks — sometimes more than $40,000 a year — waiting for the city to find them a less physically demanding job. Many have political connections.
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As part of those written questions, the Sun-Times asked Burke’s staff to discuss any investigations they conducted to determine if the employees were really hurt, why employees remain on paid disability leave for years while their cases languish, and to identify the law firms Burke has hired to defend the city.
Burke’s committee settles most workers compensation cases with the employees and their attorneys, presenting the settlements to the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission for approval. The Finance Committee has overseen workers compensation claims since 1913.
FROM:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/105538,CST-NWS-disabled21.article
(no link)
38 of my law clients have city biz: Burke - Alderman held 34 stocks that each made at least $5,000
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Saturday, May 3, 2008
Author: Fran Spielman, The Chicago Sun-Times
Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th) lost eight blue-chip clients last year, but replaced them with 10 new ones and still has 38 law clients that did business with the city or other local government agencies, according to his annual ethics statement.
In addition to his booming law business, the City Council’s Finance Committee chairman also had another banner year for investments in 2007.
For the second straight year, Burke reported having stock in 34 companies that produced at least $5,000 in income last year. That’s twice as many such stocks as he held two years ago, when Burke unloaded his Wal-Mart stock just before the City Council approved the big-box minimum wage ordinance subsequently vetoed by Mayor Daley.
Several big-time players disappeared from Burke ‘s client roster as the economy turned downward. They include: Admiral Heating & Ventilating; Centrum Properties; Dominick’s; Fitzsimmons Surgical; K-Five Construction; the Pittsfield Building; Prairie Material Sales, and WBEZ Alliance.
But Burke more than made up for the loss by gaining 10 new clients that do business with the city: Albertson’s; Chicago Journeyman Plumbers Union; Imperial Realty; Marvel Group; Seaway National Bank; Standard Bank & Trust; Walgreens; Walsh Construction; William Wrigley Jr. Co., and Zemsky’s.
Burke is Chicago’s most powerful alderman and the husband of Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke .
He has stated repeatedly that he does not represent any of his clients in their dealings with City Hall. His firm specializes in representing clients appealing property taxes before the county.
Eleven years ago, the Chicago Sun-Times ran a series of stories detailing the alleged conflicts between Burke ‘s position as Finance Committee chairman and his private role as a lawyer.
The newspaper disclosed how Burke used a rare parliamentary maneuver to change the record of four past Council votes involving his airline clients dating back as far as seven years.
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Dec. 14—On the other hand, there were financial vices. And if somebody in City Hall saw a chance to make a fast bundle or two, Daley wasn’t given to preaching. His advice amounted to: Don’t get caught.
— Mike Royko, about Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley
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In November’s only Supreme Court race, Justice Ann McGlone Burke of Chicago, a Democrat, was retained. She did not face an opponent, perhaps because she is a highly rated jurist. Or perhaps because her husband, veteran Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, controls all judicial slating in Cook County.
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