2 MILLION DOLLARS.

THAT'S THE SENTENCE A FEDERAL JUDGE HANDED DOWN TO FORMER ALDERMAN ED BURKE 2 YEARS IN PRISON AND A 2 MILLION DOLLAR FINE.

A LIGHTER THAN EXPECTED SENTENCE FOR THE MAN WHO WAS ONCE THE MOST POWERFUL ELECTED OFFICIAL IN CHICAGO.

BURKE IS NOW CONVICTED OF OPERATING AT CITY HALL LIKE A MAFIA.

DON, SHAKING DOWN THOSE WHO NEEDED HELP FROM THEIR ELECTED LEADERS.

W T TW NEWS REPORTER HEATHER SHARON JOINS US NOW FROM THE DIRKSEN FEDERAL COURTHOUSE WHERE SHE WAS IN THE COURTROOM WHEN BOURKE WAS SENTENCED.

HEATHER, TAKE US INSIDE THAT COURTROOM WHEN THE SENTENCE CAME DOWN.

WELL, WHEN BURKE WAS LISTENING TO US DISTRICT COURT, JUDGE VIRGINIA KENDALL HAND DOWN HIS SENTENCE.

HE SHOWED NO VISIBLE EMOTION AS SHE WENT THROUGH THE VARIOUS OFFENSES.

HE HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF WHICH INCLUDE RACKETEERING, ATTEMPTED EXTORTION, ATTEMPTED BRIBERY IN ALL 13 COUNTS OF CRIMES.

NOW, HIS WIFE, FORMER ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ANNE BURKE DID SHOW EMOTION.

SHE SOBBED UNCONTROLLABLY AS THE JUDGE READ OUT THE SENTENCE, WHICH WAS MUCH LIGHTER THAN ANYBODY EXPECTED GOING INTO THIS.

WE ALSO HEARD FOR THE FIRST TIME FROM ED BURKE IN HIS OWN WORDS, MORE THAN 5 YEARS AFTER FEDERAL OFFICIALS RAIDED HIS CITY HALL OFFICES.

HE EXPRESSED REGRET FOR CAUSING HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS PAIN.

AND HE SAID THE END OF HIS STORIED CAREER, THAT BLAME LIES ONLY WITH HIM.

TRULY A DRAMATIC MOMENT TO AND HEADED.

PROSECUTORS URGED THE JUDGE TO SENTENCE BIRTH TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON.

HIS ATTORNEYS ASKED FOR HOME CONFINEMENT.

HOW DID THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT?

JUDGE VIRGINIA KENDALL SETTLE THOSE 2 YEARS?

WELL, SHE SAID SHE STRIVED TO STRIKE A MIDDLE GROUND, ENCOURAGED MOSTLY BY THE HUNDREDS OF LETTERS THAT SENT WERE SENT INTO THE COURT IN ADVANCE OF TODAY'S SENTENCING.

BUT SHE SAID SHE DISREGARDED THE LETTERS FROM DOT, THE POWERFUL AND THE HIGH PROFILE AND INSTEAD FOCUSED ON THE LETTERS FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN BURKE'S 14TH WARD ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE AND SAID HE WAS THERE FOR THEM WHEN THEY NEEDED HIM ON THE WORST DAYS OF THEIR LIVES.

WHEN A RELATIVE WAS DEAD, A JOB WAS LOST.

ED BURKE, THEY SAID WAS THERE WITH THE CONSOLING HUG MONEY IF THEY NEEDED IT, HELP GETTING A JOB, IF THAT'S WHAT THEY NEEDED OR SIMPLY HIS PRAYERS.

NOW, IT WAS TRULY AN AMAZING MOMENT AS KENDALL SORT OF SEEMED A LITTLE BIT OVERCOME BY THE EMOTION THAT SHE READ IN THESE LETTERS.

AND IT'S CLEAR THAT THE DEFENSE'S STRATEGY OF PAINTING A MORE HOLISTIC PICTURE OF THE FORMER POW, POWERFUL POLITICIAN AT CITY HALL PAID OFF IN JUST 2 YEARS OF PRISON TIME AS WELL AS THAT HEFTY FINE.

HEATHER PROSECUTORS URGED THE JUDGE TO USE BERG SENTENCE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO OTHER POLITICIANS WHO MIGHT ALSO TEMPTED TO BREAK THE LAW.

DO WE KNOW IF THE JUDGE TOOK THAT INTO CONSIDERATION?

SHE SAID SHE DID.

SHE SAID THAT ITS CRIMES LIKE BURKE, THAT WEAKEN THE FABRIC OF OUR DEMOCRACY AND MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR REGULAR PEOPLE TO TRUST IN THE RULE OF LAW.

BUT SHE SAID THAT THERE WAS REALLY NO INDICATION STUFF SENTENCE FOR BURKE WOULD HAVE ANY OTHER IMPACT ON POLITICIANS WHO ARE CONSIDERING USING THEIR PUBLIC OFFICE TO ENRICH THEMSELVES.

SHE SAID IT SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITHOUT AN ANSWER.

HEATHER BURKE ALSO FACES THAT 2 MILLION DOLLAR AND THE LOSS OF HIS PENSION.

HOW MUCH MIGHT THAT HURT HIM?

SO LOSS OF HIS PENSION IS GOING TO BE SIGNIFICANT.

THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT HE COULD WRITE A CHECK FOR THAT 2 MILLION DOLLAR FINE TODAY.

WE KNOW FROM FEDERAL COURT RECORDS THAT HE HAS A NET WORTH OF MORE THAN 30 MILLION DOLLARS.

IN ADDITION, HE HAS 8 MILLION DOLLARS LEFT OVER IN HIS CAMPAIGN FINANCE FUNDS.

THAT, OF COURSE, WAS A MASK OVER DECADES, AS HE SAID AS HE CONSOLIDATED HIS POWER IN CITY HALL, ANDRES MONEY ACROSS THE CITY.

OKAY.

SOUNDS LIKE THE 2 YEARS IN PRISON.

OBVIOUSLY MUCH MORE UPSETTING TO HIS WIFE, STATE SUPREME COURT AND