Ex-Democratic Official Pleads Guilty By MIKE ROBINSON, Associated Press Writer 15 minutes ago A former finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee pleaded guilty Thursday to threatening to bar an investment company from doing business with the Illinois State Teachers Pension Fund unless it agreed to hire a consultant. Joseph A. Cari and another man agreed to help federal prosecutors in their investigation of corruption at the pension fund in exchange for a break when they are sentenced. Cari, 52, a Chicago lawyer, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted extortion. The DNC's national finance chairman in 2000 would face...