* Dave McKinney and Tony Arnold at WBEZ with the scoop that has almost everyone at the Statehouse abuzz…
A federal grand jury sent a subpoena for government records to the Illinois Senate for documents relating to Democratic Sen. Tom Cullerton, a three-term lawmaker who last year spearheaded the legislative response to fatal Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks at the state veterans’ home in downstate Quincy.
The Feb. 5, 2019, subpoena sought Cullerton’s personnel file as well as records regarding his legislative attendance; reimbursements for travel, lodging, meals, cell phone and vehicle allowances; and “all emails to and from” the senator between Feb. 1, 2013, and March 31, 2016. […]
During the three-year period in which investigators are seeking records, Cullerton — now chairman of the Senate Labor Committee — disclosed in his state economic interest statements that he had received income as an “organizer” for Teamsters Joint Council 25. […]
Annual spending reports the union filed with the U.S. Department of Labor for calendar years 2013, 2014 and 2015 showed Teamsters Joint Council 25 paid Cullerton $182,800 for that role, nearly doubling the senator’s cumulative pay from the state during that period, records show. […]
Government filings involving Coli and the February subpoena seeking state records related to Cullerton share an identical grand jury case number and the same federal prosecutor. That suggests the probe involving both cases is the same, according to a former federal law enforcement source interviewed by WBEZ.
- Sue - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 9:16 am:
Is this a great state or what?
- Fixer - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 9:31 am:
“Not accused of any wrongdoing” seems to imply they’re either looking for further things against Coli or Coli is trying to roll on Cullerton to me.
- Last Bull Moose - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 9:35 am:
Coli sounds like Jimmy Hoffa lite. Hope Tom was not involved in any illegal actions.
Policing the unions has always been hard. They have political allies and some have a history of corruption.
- Tell Me - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 9:40 am:
Haha. The labor movement just can’t get out of the way of itself.
- Honeybear - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 9:48 am:
Coli was one of the Rats on the ILRB that facilitated Rauners labor contract impasse.
This was used as one of the reasons/basis to withhold contractually obligated “step wages”.
Coli voted for impasse even though there clearly wasn’t one, (as evidenced by the fact that fruitful bargaining is going on right now)
That one vote
gave Rauner the legal justification to try to withhold wages.
We went to court and won. It was an illegal action to withhold wages because we were still under the old contract and it hadn’t been invalidated.
Thus Coli, was a rat against labor.
- Driveby - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 9:49 am:
If you are interested in fair process, a good question to ask here as always is where the reporters got the story — did the feds hand it to them. Nothing wrong with the reporters in that situation, but prosecutors have been known beat targets down that way by making their lives a living hell.
- Nick Name - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 10:02 am:
“Policing big business fatcats has always been hard. They have political allies and some have a history of corruption.”
Fixed it for you.
- OneMan - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 10:03 am:
Would a subpoena issued to a government entity be FOIAable if you FOIA’d the government entity?
- El Conquistador - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 10:06 am:
Coli was also behind the corrupt Teamsters deal with Rauner for IDOT teamsters to be leveraged off the state group health plan with premium free healthcare. This was to put pressure on afscme to accept his radical cuts to healthcare. He’s a real tool.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 10:09 am:
===Would a subpoena issued to a government entity be FOIAable===
Yep.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 10:11 am:
The lede threw me; made it sound like the subpoena is related to Quincy somehow. Real non sequitur.
- Amalia - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 10:44 am:
Tom Cullerton is a hardworking State Senator who does great work for the people. Hoping he will be ok with this development.
- The Way I See It - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 10:46 am:
Tom is one of the really nice guys in this business. Prayers for him and his family.
- Last Bull Moose - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 11:06 am:
Nick Name. Both statements are true. Teddy Roosevelt took on the trusts, the business fatcats of his day.
If you think Jimmy Hoffa was not corrupt, show me his grave.
- A guy - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 11:50 am:
Need to “wait and see” on this one.
- Nick Name - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 12:55 pm:
===Nick Name. Both statements are true.===
I know that. But in my experience, every person who screams about union corruption also ignores/forgets/doesn’t care about corporate corruption. Hence, my comment.
- Last Bull Moose - Thursday, Apr 11, 19 @ 2:49 pm:
Then I’m an exception. I simply dislike corruption.