Politicians get public defender in corruption case

A former Chicago alderman and a Cook County commissioner facing corruption charges say they have fallen on hard times and can't pay for their legal defense.

Former Alderman Ambrosio Medrano and former Cook County commissioner Joseph Moreno were arrested in June and charged with accepting bribes and kickbacks in a scheme to sell bandages to hospitals.

Moreno says his once-lucrative legal practice has lost business since the charges against him were announced. Medrano claims he is trying to turn his "hobby" as an event promoter into a full-time job, but can't afford legal counsel.

In appearances before Judge Morton Denlow on Wednesday, both men entered not guilty pleas and asked for taxpayer help with their defense.

Denlow approved both men's requests for support from the federal defender program.