He served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives representing the 4th Essex district from 1975 to 1979 as a Democrat[5][3] and served as the District Attorney of Essex County, Massachusetts from 1979 to 2003.[6] From 2007 to 2010 he served as the Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety under Governor Deval Patrick.[6][7]
Legal career
After leaving the Essex County District Attorney's Office he practiced law with Burke & Mawn Consultants and later Gadsby Hannah LLP.[8][5]
In 2017 he was appointed by Massachusetts State Police Superintendent Colonel Kerry Gilpin to lead an investigation into the arrest of Alli Bibaud, the daughter of Dudley district court judge Timothy Bibaud.[6]
On April 27, 2018, the Massachusetts State Police released its own report on the investigation and review of the scandal involving a redacted police report for the arrest of a judge's daughter and the discipline of two state troopers.[9] Burke along with Nancy McGillivray, former United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts concluded that former State Police Colonel Richard McKeon used "flawed judgment" in ordering the redaction of the arrest report.[9][10]
Personal life
He lives with his wife Patricia in Beverly.[5] The couple has three children.[5]
^Beverly High School Yearbook (Class of 1964), page 91
^ abO'Neill, Edward B. (1977). Public officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1977-1978. Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. p. 105. ISBN9780243014514.