Jesse Jackson Aims to Block Burge Pension

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jan 31, 2011 2:00PM

Looks like the "Jon Burge gets to keep his pension" saga isn't over just yet. Rev. Jesse Jackson announced Saturday that he plans on filing a lawsuit to have Burge's pension revoked. Last Thursday the police pension board deadlocked on whether Burge's pension should be revoked. The four who voted to let Burge keep his pension were all current or former cops elected to the pension board by the Police Department and said that Burge's conviction for perjury and obstruction of justice was not related to the allegations of police torture with which Burge has become synonymous.

Jackson said state law states pensions shall not be paid out to public servants convicted of crimes relating to or stemming from their service. Activist Mark Clements, who served 28 years for a murder he said he never committed, said he and others who claim they were tortured by Burge and his underlings were promised the chance to testify before the pension board. But they were never told when the board would meet to vote on Burge's pension. It may take a lawsuit to shatter the Blue Wall that protected Burge last week.