(CHICAGO)  At City Hall, indicted Ald Willie Cochran is telling ABC7 why he rejected a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Cochran’s charged with looting his ward’s charity of tens of thousands of dollars for personal expenses, but he claims there was no bad intent and he’s repaid the money, “There’s no intent to do anything to harm anybody. Maybe human error, but no intent.”

Nonetheless, he says he’s sorry, “I just have to say that I apologize to the citizens of this city, coworkers and others for finding myself in this pickle. It’s nothing that I ever wanted to be with and I am not someone who extorts or takes bribes.”

As of now the case is going to trial, but a plea deal still may be possible.

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