Dupage Policy Journal

Jerry Evans, a candidate for the 11th Congressional District, has voiced his concern over the recent conviction of former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke on 13 out of 14 counts, including racketeering conspiracy. Evans drew attention to the widespread corruption in Chicago politics and stressed the urgency for change to disrupt the cycle of scandal.

“Yesterday, we sadly saw another example of corruption in Chicago politics,” Evans said on Facebook. “Ed Burke was a Chicago Alderman for 54 years and abused his position and his power as an elected official  to enrich himself.”

Evans underscored that long-term political careers could potentially lead to corruption and unethical behavior. He emphasized the need to vote out such individuals before they engage in misconduct. Citing a news release, he pointed out statistics on federal corruption trials, particularly in the Chicago area. 

"This article stated, ‘Since 1976, approximately 2,100 federal corruption trials have occurred in the U.S. for public officials, and about 1,800 of those have been in the Chicago area,’" he said.

The former alderman’s conviction followed a six-week federal trial, where he was found guilty of leveraging his political influence to pressure individuals into hiring his private property tax law firm. The charges against Burke included racketeering conspiracy, federal program bribery, attempted extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion, and using an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity, with each count carrying sentences of up to 20 years. Burke’s convictions were tied to four separate schemes involving the Old Post Office, a Burger King restaurant, a Binny’s Beverage Depot store, and the Field Museum. The most serious charges, racketeering, and extortion, could each lead to a maximum of 20 years behind bars, according to CBS News.

Evans is running his campaign with a focus on education and community service in the Chicago area. A small businessman and founder of a suburban music school, Evans is deeply involved in mentoring and missionary training. According to his website bio, he was taught by his parents "the Midwestern values of hard work and the importance of helping those around you."

The 11th Congressional District covers most parts of McHenry and Kane Counties, along with portions of Boone, Lake, DeKalb, DuPage, Cook and Will Counties. The district is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) and has a population of over 700,000 according to the Census Bureau.