Former Ald. Cochran’s plea: Prison hasn’t stopped corruption — so don’t lock me up

Arguing that prison sentences historically have “not done anything to curb Chicago’s tidal wave of aldermanic corruption cases,” Willie Cochran’s lawyer asked a judge Thursday not to put the latest convicted ex-City Council member behind bars.

Attorney Christopher T. Grohman instead asked for probation with six months of home confinement for the 67-year-old former 20^th Ward alderman, insisting that Cochran’s crime does not count as a typical public corruption case.

To make his argument, Grohman pointed to a list published by the Chicago Sun-Times of 35 aldermen convicted since the early 1970s. He also made reference to last week’s indictment of 14^th Ward Ald. Edward M. Burke on racketeering and bribery charges — a case former 25^th Ward Ald. Danny Solis helped build by wearing a wire for the feds.

“Since sending the previous aldermen to jail has not done anything to curb Chicago’s tidal wave of aldermanic corruption cases, there is no reason to think that sending Mr. Cochran to jail will, especially if the Alderman Burke indictment and news reports of the Alderman Solis consensual recordings of his fellow aldermen (which occurred after Mr. Cochran was indicted) are accurate,” Grohman wrote in a court memo filed Thursday afternoon.

Federal prosecutors are expected to file their recommendations next week. Cochran’s sentencing hearing is set for June 20.

Cochran pleaded guilty in March to wire fraud and admitted that he took $14,000 from a charitable 20^th Ward fund and used the money for personal expenses. The admission ended his career on the City Council. Still, his lawyer continues to insist that Cochran did not take a bribe as prosecutors had once alleged.

“There are politicians who commit a crime, and then there are ‘political corruption cases,’” Grohman wrote. “Mr. Cochran is indeed a politician who has admitted committing a crime, but despite what the Government may assert, this is not in any way a typical political corruption case.”

Cochran’s 17-page plea agreement said he solicited donations for a 20^th Ward Activities Fund he controlled, promising that all funds would be used for events such as a summer back-to-school picnic, a Valentine’s Day event for senior citizens and other holiday get-togethers. It acknowledges the events were held and paid for with money from the fund. Grohman also argued that Cochran kicked $37,500 of his own money into the fund and hosted “dozens of events.”

However, Grohman said Cochran’s wife “fell gravely ill” around late 2010. Cochran’s family lost her income and her medical bills began to rise, straining their finances.

“Due to the stress on his family, Mr. Cochran succumbed to his gambling addiction, convinced that he could gamble his way out of his monetary problems,” Grohman wrote.

Grohman’s memo notes that at one casino, Cochran “had a lifetime buy in of approximately $1.4 million and lifetime win of approximately $111,000.” However, he called the casino’s records “misleading” and essentially meaningless.

“As with most gamblers who are not current Jeopardy contestants, Mr. Cochran, a blackjack and slots player, is likely a lifetime loser,” Grohman wrote.

Once the gambling exacerbated his family’s money problems, Grohman said, Cochran “began dipping into the charity fund, thinking he could legally recoup the $37,500 that he had previously contributed.”

Ultimately, Cochran admits, he “took out $14,285 more than he put in.”