Ald. Willie Cochran’s guilty plea on Thursday adds him to a crowd of Chicago aldermen who’ve been charged with crime — extortion, embezzlement, tax evasion and bribery being some of the most common.
Cochran became the 35th name on Chicago’s list of “aldercrooks” when he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for spending money from a ward fund meant for charity on personal expenses. He’s also now the third guilty alderman from the 20th Ward — his predecessors Arenda Troutman and Cliff Kelley are also on the list. That ties the 20th Ward’s record of corrupt alderman with the 23rd and the 31st Wards.
His 15-count indictment in 2016 included bribery and wire fraud. Feds accused him of stealing from a 20th Ward fund meant to help children and senior citizens, using $5,000 to pay his daughter’s college tuition and withdrawing $25,000 from ATMs near his preferred casinos.
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• Ald. Willie Cochran pleads guilty to wire fraud in corruption case
• Ald. Cochran’s ‘off the books’ fund exposes deeper problem
• Ald. Cochran charged with looting fund meant for kids, seniors
Dating back to 1973, here’s Chicago’s aldermanic hall of shame, the officials who brought the unflattering reputation of dirty politics to the Windy City. Some on this list are on here for crimes that occurred after their time in City Council, including James Laski, Ed Vrdolyak and William Beavers.
Click here for Chicago's aldermanic hall of shame
