Pals raise funds at church for Sorich's legal bills

By Steve Warmbir and Fran Spielman - Chicago Sun-Times
August 22, 2006

Hundreds of people packed Mayor Daley's family church over the weekend to raise tens of thousands of dollars to pay the legal bills of Daley's former patronage chief, Robert Sorich, who was convicted last month in a City Hall hiring scandal, the Sun-Times has learned.

Among those attending the fund-raiser at Nativity of Our Lord were the mayor's brother, Cook County Commissioner John Daley; one of the mayor's top political advisers, Tim Degnan; former union boss and reputed Outfit member Bruno Caruso; and Ald. James Balcer of the Daleys' 11th Ward, sources said. The suggested donation was $100 a ticket, and supporters spilled out of the church hall and into the parking lot.

Balcer made no apologies for supporting his longtime friend and Bridgeport neighbor. John Daley and Degnan declined to comment.

Balcer said of Sorich: "I know him. I've worked with him. He's from the community. I go to church with his mother. He's just a nice guy -- a decent man. I'm not ashamed to call the man my friend."

Sorich was convicted last month with three other former city employees with taking part in a scheme to rig the city's hiring system to reward political volunteers who worked for the Daley political machine.

Sorich and his family has decades-long ties to Bridgeport. Nativity of Our Lord is his longtime family parish. Sorich's father served as the official photographer for former Mayor Richard J. Daley. Sorich himself was an aide to Balcer's predecessor, Ald. Pat Huels, before joining the Mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Even after Sorich became the mayor's patronage chief, he would drive John Daley to work.

Sorich's prosecution and trial has left him in tough financial straits, sources said.

His attorney, Thomas Durkin, declined to comment on the fund-raiser, other than to say: "I would hope to think it's still OK for people in this country to have an adequate defense."

The U.S. attorney's office declined to comment.

Caruso said he attended the fund-raiser for a simple reason: "Somebody's in trouble, somebody needs help, you help him."

Former First Deputy Transportation Commissioner Tony Pucillo, once investigated for accepting bribes but never charged, attended too.

The Rev. Daniel Brandt, pastor at Nativity of Our Lord, said the crowd spoke volumes about Sorich's character. "Robert is loved," he said.

Another attendee quipped: "Robert should run for alderman. He would win."