Mariah Woelfel covers city government at WBEZ. Before joining the City Hall beat in 2021, Mariah worked as a general assignment reporter and producer at the station, where she covered the creation of and start to Illinois’ multimillion dollar recreational cannabis industry, as well as the city and state’s healthcare systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to WBEZ, Mariah worked as a reporter, producer and All Things Considered host at WVIK, an NPR member station in western Illinois.
She grew up in Chicago and currently lives on the city’s West Side with her dog, Lola.
Mariah Woelfel
Reporter
Stories by Mariah Woelfel
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‘Do you have memory issues?’ Defense hammers at credibility of witness at Burke corruption trial
Witness is pressed why he didn’t initially tell FBI agents about the former alderperson’s apparent interest in getting private business from Burger King owners.
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Feds play recording of Burke seeming to link approval of Burger King permit with business for his law firm
“We were going to talk about the real estate tax representation, and you were going to have somebody get in touch with me so we can expedite your permits,” Burke was recorded saying during a call with an executive.
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New seating protocols at Chicago’s City Council meetings draw sharp criticisms
“There should not be VIP seating for residents of Chicago to watch their government at work,” the ACLU said of the new policy.
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Landing a ‘tuna,’ lobbing an F-bomb — Burke’s famous quotes played for jurors after defense mistrial denial
U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall denied a request for mistrial made over a remark about the “Chicago way of doing business” being “very corrupt.”
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Mistrial in Burke case? Judge to rule on defense objection to ‘very corrupt’ remark during corruption trial
When Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur explained that she did not expect Amtrak executive Ray Lang to make the comment, U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall quickly asked, ‘What were you expecting him to say?’
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Five years ago today: Butcher paper signals FBI raid on offices of ‘untouchable’ Ed Burke — and changes Chicago history
Reporters could only speculate about what prompted the raid, but ex-Mayor Lori Lightfoot admits she “rode that wave ‘till it crashed on the beach.”
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Chicago’s City Council is tightening public access amid a slew of chaotic meetings
In recent months, alderpeople have been accosted, received threats and security has had to clear council chambers on more than one occasion.
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FBI agent tells how former Ald. Danny Solis came to wear a wire, cooperate in corruption probes
Special Agent Ryan McDonald’s testimony comes nearly five years to the day after the FBI raided former Ald. Edward M. Burke’s offices on Nov. 29, 2018.
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Feds dropped in on Burger King owner the same day they raided Ed Burke’s aldermanic offices
“I was relieved when they said it before they got in the house that I’m not in trouble,” Shoukat Dhanani testified. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let them in.”
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Burger King owner’s ‘gut feeling’ told him he should have hired Ed Burke’s law firm
Prosecutors called Shoukat Dhanani to the witness stand and played secretly recorded calls as they began showing jurors evidence of a second scheme outlined in Burke’s 2019 indictment.
