Willie B. Cochran
Willie Cochran was a member of the Chicago City Council in the state of Illinois, representing Ward 20 from 2007 to 2019. He was elected to the council in 2007.[1] Cochran did not run for re-election in 2019.[2]
Biography
Cochran received his associate degree from Joliet Junior College and his B.A. in sociology from Eastern Illinois University. He later received his master's degree in public administration from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Cochran was a city police officer from 1977 until his retirement in 2003.[1]
Elections
2015
The city of Chicago, Illinois, held elections for city council on February 24, 2015. A runoff took place on April 7, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was November 24, 2014.[3] In the general election for Ward 20, incumbent Willie B. Cochran and challenger Kevin Bailey advanced past challengers Willie Ray, Jr., Ernest Radcliffe, Jr. and Andre Smith. Cochran defeated Bailey in the runoff election on April 7, 2015.[4] Jerome A. Davis and Ronnie D. Nelson were removed from the ballot in December 2014.[5][6]
| Chicago City Council, Ward 20, Runoff Election, 2015 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
 Willie B. Cochran Incumbent |
55.4% | 4,338 | |
| Kevin Bailey | 44.6% | 3,489 | |
| Total Votes | 7,827 | ||
| Source: Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, "Official runoff election results," accessed July 9, 2015 | |||
| Chicago City Council, Ward 20, General Election, 2015 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Willie B. Cochran Incumbent |
47.6% | 3,149 | |
| Kevin Bailey |
20.6% | 1,365 | |
| Andre Smith | 15.7% | 1,038 | |
| Willie Ray, Jr. | 10.2% | 672 | |
| Ernest Radcliffe, Jr. | 5.9% | 390 | |
| Total Votes | 6,614 | ||
| Source: Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, "Official general election results," accessed July 9, 2015 | |||
Noteworthy events
Federal indictment on wire fraud, extortion, and bribery charges
On December 14, 2016, a federal grand jury indicted Cochran on 15 counts including 11 counts of wire fraud, two counts of extortion, and two counts of bribery. These charges stemmed from allegations that Cochran used his role as the sole signatory on the ward's activities account for personal enrichment. Cochran was accused of using at least $30,000 in public donations to fund his daughter's college tuition and gamble at casinos. He was also charged with accepting a $3,000 bribe from a liquor store owner in exchange for his support for relaxing liquor sales requirements in the ward.[7][8]
Cochran was told about the indictment during the council's final meeting of 2016. He told the Chicago Tribune that he would remain on the council and work with the U.S. attorney to resolve the case.[7] Cochran also said:
| “ | I can say my colleagues and the people of the 20th ward are strong supporters for my family, and I and am confident this will be resolved.[7][9] | ” |
| —Willie Cochran (2016) | ||
On March 21, 2019, Cochran pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for misusing the ward's charity funds to pay for personal expenses. In return for the plea, federal prosecutors dropped 14 of the 15 counts against Cochran.[10]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "Willie + Cochran + Chicago"
- All stories may not be relevant due to the nature of the search engine.
See also
External links
- Ward 20 website
- Social Media
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The 20th Ward , "Biography," accessed November 24, 2014
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "With another alderman facing charges, 20th Ward aims to not get it ‘wrong,’" February 16, 2019
- ↑ Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, "2015 Election Calendar," accessed August 21, 2014
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Unofficial runoff election results," accessed April 7, 2015
- ↑ Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, "General Election Candidate List," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Unofficial election results," accessed February 24, 2015
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Chicago Tribune, "Ald. Willie Cochran indicted on thefts from ward charity," December 14, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Times, "Chicago alderman indicted on extortion, other charges," December 14, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Ald. Willie Cochran pleads guilty — finally — to federal fraud charge for misusing ward's charity fund," March 21, 2019
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Chicago City Council, Ward 20 2007-2019 |
Succeeded by Jeanette Taylor |
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State of Illinois Springfield (capital) |
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