Chicago – A guard at Cook County Jail told investigators he helped six inmates escape over the weekend in an attempt to influence the election for sheriff, newspapers reported Tuesday.
The guard said he was trying to embarrass outgoing county Sheriff Michael Sheahan and his chief of staff, Tom Dart, who is running for sheriff, The Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune reported, citing unidentified law enforcement sources.
No charges had been filed in the jailbreak as of midday Tuesday.
All six inmates have been captured.
Also Tuesday, the Police Department said its officers received a tip about an escape plot at the jail hours before the breakout.
Authorities got word that someone involved in that case “had knowledge … of what was going to occur,” police spokeswoman Monique Bond said. Officers followed proper procedure and reported the tip to the sheriff’s office, she said.
The guard initially said he had been overpowered by the inmates at the understaffed jail. However, according to the reports, he changed his story and said he was trying to boost the campaign of Richard Remus, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for sheriff.
Remus dismissed that theory Tuesday.
Remus said he once was the guard’s supervisor at the jail but is not the man’s friend.
