A former Cook County official has been found guilty of steering no-bid contracts to acquaintances and reaping $35,000 in kickbacks.
Eugene Mullins was director of communications for former Cook County President Todd Stroger between 2008 and 2010.
He was convicted Wednesday of three counts of wire fraud and four counts of accepting kickbacks after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 19. Mullins faces up to 20 years in prison on each count of wire fraud and 10 years on each count of accepting kickbacks.
The contracts were for initiatives that included promoting energy efficiency and helping residents affected by floods.
Defense attorney Brunell Donald-Kyei maintains there are things the jury didn't get to hear and says she still believes Mullins is innocent.
