ILL-inois: For first time a Chicago alderman found guilty twice in separate cases

Chicago--city of crooked alderman

Since 1972, 31 sitting or former members of Chicago's City Council have been convicted of crimes, the most recent of which is Ald. Sandi Jackson (7th). Earlier this year, another former 7th Ward alderman, William, "The Hog with the Big Nuts" Beavers, a bitter enemy of the Jesse Jackson clan, was found guilty of tax evasion. Sandi pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme with her husband, US Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., of illegally diverting funds from his campaign war chest for personal use.

One of those "Dirty 31" is former 25th Ward alderman Ambrosio Medrano. He pleaded guilty in 1996 to accepting a $31,000 bribe from an FBI mole and placing two cronies in no-show municipal jobs. Earlier today he was found guilty of attempting to bribe a Los Angeles County official to win a pharmaceutical contract for a business associate.

This is a first. Until Medrano, no Chicago alderman had ever been convicted twice in separate cases. But can he pull off a hat trick? Possibly. Medrano faces another corruption trial in an unrelated bribery case, this one involves a Cook County-run hospital.

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