A federal judge has determined that Carrie Austin, a 76-year-old former Chicago alderman, is unfit to stand trial on charges of bribery and making false statements to the FBI. The decision was made due to concerns about the adverse effects a trial could have on her health. Austin, who served nearly three decades on the Chicago City Council before resigning in 2023, was indicted in July 2021. She was accused of conspiring to receive home improvements from construction contractors seeking city assistance for a development project in her ward on the Far South Side of Chicago.

Austin pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include one count of conspiring to use interstate facilities to promote bribery, two counts of using interstate facilities to promote bribery, and one count of willfully making materially false statements to the FBI. Her attorneys argued for an indefinite postponement of the trial, originally scheduled for November 2025, citing her serious health issues such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart ailments, and cancer.

Judge John Kness ruled that attending the trial would be too strenuous for Austin, who struggles with basic daily activities due to her health conditions. The judge’s decision followed consultations with medical professionals who confirmed that the demands of a trial would significantly impact her well-being.

The indictment detailed that starting in 2014, a construction company planned a $49.6 million residential development in Austin’s ward. From 2016 onwards, Austin and her chief of staff, Chester Wilson, allegedly received personal benefits from contractors involved in the project. These benefits included payments for kitchen cabinets and sump pumps at Austin’s residence.

In 2021, Austin collapsed during a City Council meeting due to her lung conditions and was hospitalized. Despite federal prosecutors presenting surveillance footage showing Austin walking unaided into a salon, Judge Kness concluded that her current health status would impede her ability to participate effectively in her defense.