Burke's law firm had employed Joseph A. Martinez, a real estate tax appeal attorney, as a full-time partner since about 1977, when in 1981 Mayor Jane Byrne appointed Martinez to replace the resigning 31st Ward Alderman Chester Kuta. Martinez served out the remainder of Kuta's term but declined to run for re-election when the ward committeeman endorsed a challenger. Between 1985 and 1992, Martinez received $91,000 in wages and benefits for doing little or no work for city council committees, and was a target of Operation Haunted Hall. In April 1995, after the federal subpoena of Council committee personnel records, Martinez returned the $91,000, sending cash to City Hall in three installments. He was charged and pleaded guilty on January 23, 1997. In his plea agreement, he admitted he was a ghost payroller on city council committees, starting with the Finance Committee in 1987, and said that he was employed in each committee job "in order to receive health insurance". Martinez's attorney said Burke got Martinez the jobs because Burke's law firm did not provide health insurance. In a statement, Burke wrote, "A memorandum filed in Mr. Martinez's case asserted that I participated in a scheme that gave rise to these charges. This allegation is untrue. I have done nothing wrong in connection with this matter." Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Mike Royko wrote, "You would think that a bright fellow such as Burke – whose father was a ward boss and an alderman – would know better..."