Ald. Ed Burke, who faces one charge of attempted extortion after the FBI raided his office twice in recent months, was scheduled for a hearing Friday. That hearing has now been rescheduled for May, after prosecutors motioned for and won an extension.

Election Day is February 26th, well before the deadline for a prosecutors to seek an indictment from a grand jury, so the extension opens the doors wider for Ald. Burke to clinch a 13th term on the City Council.

A lot of people know at least something about Ed Burke. He’s a longtime alderman. He’s a lawyer. He’s the only alderman with his own security team. But we wanted to go deeper to understand his beginnings at City Hall, the clout he wields today, and the political moments in Chicago’s history where he’s been a major player. 

Morning Shift sits down with former City Hall reporter Ray Hanania to dive into Ald. Burke’s early days in politics.