* Bloomberg…
The former president of AT&T Illinois has agreed to a deferred-prosecution deal, averting a second trial on charges he bribed powerful former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Paul La Schiazza’s first trial ended in September 2024 with a deadlocked jury, and he had been scheduled for a retrial in January.
Instead, he agreed to pay a $200,000 fine and keep his record clean for 12 months. If he complies, prosecutors will move to dismiss the indictment at the end of the deferral period.
* Capitol News Illinois’ Hannah Meisel…
* The Tribune…
The deferred-prosecution deal scuttles a retrial that had been set for January. It also comes on Madigan’s first full day in federal prison in West Virginia, where he’s serving a 7 ½-year sentence on other corruption counts. The jury in Madigan’s trial also deadlocked on the AT&T-related charge in the indictment.
La Schiazza, 68, was charged in October 2022 with conspiracy, federal program bribery and using a facility in interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity.
The charges alleged La Schiazza agreed in 2017 to pay $2,500 a month to Acevedo, Madigan’s onetime assistant majority leader, through the lobbying firm of longtime Madigan political aide Tom Cullen.
In exchange for the payments, the speaker helped shepherd AT&T’s bill ending mandated landline service through the General Assembly, giving La Schiazza a career notch on his belt and saving the telecommunications giant millions of dollars, according to prosecutors.
Thoughts?
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Oct 14, 25 @ 12:09 pm:
My only thought is it would be interesting if La Schiazza has any cooperation to trade, but it seems like maybe the new DOJ just wants to close this case.
- Sue - Tuesday, Oct 14, 25 @ 12:11 pm:
This is the equivalent of eating crow- The USA can claim they got a win
- Garfield Ridge Guy - Tuesday, Oct 14, 25 @ 12:25 pm:
Entering the agreement and declining to seek jail time is obviously a travesty, but it does not rank particularly highly compared to the DOJ’s other excesses lately.
- Felix - Tuesday, Oct 14, 25 @ 12:25 pm:
Wonder if a similar deal will be offered to another defendant who had a hung jury: Emil Jones. Maybe if he agrees to resign?
- Taco Man - Tuesday, Oct 14, 25 @ 12:48 pm:
As La Schiazza is shockingly saying: “reach out and touch (hug) someone” (the company’s 1980s slogan). This is compared to the other folks who are in or soon will be heading to hibernation…
- Just Me 2 - Tuesday, Oct 14, 25 @ 1:25 pm:
Trump’s DOJ doesn’t like the idea of prosecuting political corruption. That creates a standard they’re reluctant to follow: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-aide-homan-accepted-50000-bribery-sting-operation-sources-say-2025-09-21/
- :) - Tuesday, Oct 14, 25 @ 1:28 pm:
Glad to see the feds using their preferred tool for bribing again. /s. Shameless. This case should’ve been dropped.
- low level - Tuesday, Oct 14, 25 @ 1:54 pm:
DOJ wants to clear the decks so they can go after their “real” enemies. Yes, the case should have been dropped.
- Marcey Prop - Tuesday, Oct 14, 25 @ 1:55 pm:
@Sue—I completely agree. The feds don’t want to lose this case again.
- Frida’s Boss - Tuesday, Oct 14, 25 @ 2:13 pm:
Feds probably didn’t want to lose again and Schiazza proved badly would’ve paid more than $200k to go through another trial in lawyers fees.