Former Cook employee of Dorothy Brown admits lying to grand jury
A Glenview man pleaded guilty Wednesday to lying to a federal grand jury that was looking into him being hired by Cook County Clerk Dorothy Brown after loaning money to her husband.
Sivasubramani Rajaram, 48, admitted to loaning $15,000 to Goat Masters Corp., a company whose president is Benton Cook III, husband of Cook County circuit court Clerk Dorothy Brown, according to prosecutors.
A month later, in September 2014, Rajaram was hired by the clerk's office, according to the plea agreement. Federal prosecutors say Rajaram had previously worked in the clerk's office but had been living in India for several years.
In October 2015, Rajaram testified before a federal grand jury investigating possible "purchasing of jobs and promotions within the clerk's office," according to prosecutors. During his testimony, Rajaram said he had not spoken to Brown after his 2014 hiring. He also testified he had spoken to another high-ranking clerk's office employee, who was not named, "three or four times" since returning to Chicago from India. Rajaram later admitted in the plea agreement that both statements were false.
Rajaram faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 when he is sentenced Sept. 14.
Brown has not been charged with any crime related to the investigation. Last month, she won the Democratic primary for clerk of the circuit court even though the Cook County Democratic Party revoked its endorsement of her after news of the federal probe surfaced last year.
In an email, a spokeswoman from the clerk's office wrote Rajaram "was a good employee. However, we are not privy to details about this case and therefore have no further comment."