Lawyer: Ald. Cochran 'thinking about' guilty plea, not thinking re-election

Alderman Willie Cochran is considering whether to take a plea deal nearly two years after federal prosecutors accused him of fraud, extortion and bribery.

But no final decision has been made, according to defense attorney Christopher Grohman. And no hearing has been set before U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso for Cochran to change his previous plea of not guilty.

"(Cochran) has not yet decided whether or not he will plead guilty," Grohman told the Chicago Sun-Times. "He has been offered something, and he's thinking about it."

The feds accused Cochran in December 2016 of looting 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. The former Chicago Police officer was also accused of accepting bribes from businessmen who needed favors from him.

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