* Courthouse News…
The federal corruption trial of ex-Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan continued Wednesday as U.S. attorneys probed the extent of AT&T’s involvement with the state’s politics.
The government claims AT&T Illinois offered Democratic ex-state Representative Eddie Acevedo a do-nothing subcontractor gig worth $22,500 in April 2017, through a firm owned by lobbyist Tom Cullen — also a longtime Madigan ally and Democratic political operative.
Jurors on Wednesday saw that Cullen’s lobbying firm Cullen & Associates signed a contract with AT&T Illinois in January 2017, initially for $7,500 per month. AT&T amended the contract in April to pay Cullen & Associates an additional $2,500 per month for April through December.
Internal AT&T documents jurors saw stated the extra funds were meant to cover Cullen’s firm taking on “an additional asset.”
Prosecutors say that asset was Eddie Acevedo.
* Tribune…
On March 28, 2017, then-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza emailed his government affairs team: “Got a call. … Do we have $ set aside for a small contract for Eddie Acevedo?”
La Schiazza let his colleagues know they had the “GO order” to offer Acevedo a $2,500-a-month contract through the end of the year. A few days later, AT&T legislative affairs head Brian Gray suggested they add Acevedo, a Democrat, as a consultant under an existing contract so as not to rub Republicans the wrong way.
“Our recommendation would be to plus up one of our existing firms, probably Tom Cullen,” Gray wrote in a March 31, 2017, email, a reference to the consulting firm run by one of Madigan’s former top political aides. “We need to run this by Tom but believe he would be open to it. Of course we would make sure that AT&T gets credit for fulfilling this request.”
La Schiazza emailed back: “If you guys really believe it will be harmful to contract with (Acevedo) directly, I have no objection to that plan, as long as you are sure we will get credit and the box checked, and of course we have legal approval to engage Eddie in this way.”
But when they approached Acevedo with the offer, he was apparently indignant.
* Tribune courts reporter Jason Meisner…
* Capitol News Illinois…
[T]he feds are also using Cullen’s testimony to remind the jurors of evidence from earlier in the case involving the speaker’s loyal inner circle.
It was Cullen’s loyalty that led him to participate in meetings in the spring and summer of 2018 to formulate a strategy to save Madigan’s political future after his organization was hit with allegations of sexual harassment at the height of the #MeToo movement. […]
“Whatever you want, 100% on any of that stuff … It’s not even a question,” Cullen said in a wiretapped phone call with retired Statehouse lobbyist and longtime Madigan confidant Mike McClain in August 2018. “You know, that’s as loyal as I am on this stuff. It’s just, it’s ridiculous. You just tell me where, when, how, all that s— and it’ll be done.” […]
Cullen was at least the fourth call that McClain made on Aug. 28, 2018, asking lobbyists close to Madigan whether they’d be willing to pay about $1,000 per month to Kevin Quinn, a longtime political staffer in the speaker’s organization.
* Related…
* Sun-Times | Ex-AT&T Illinois president still on the hook: Judge won’t acquit after mistrial in case with Madigan ties: Jurors in the trial of former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza heard from more than a dozen witnesses over four days. Key players in the alleged scheme included Michael McClain, Madigan’s longtime friend who is now on trial with him in a related case, and former state Rep. Edward “Eddie” Acevedo.
* Tribune | Judge denies acquittal bid for ex-AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan: The ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman not only sets the stage for a potential retrial for La Schiazza, but also comes as jurors in Madigan’s own corruption trial are hearing the same evidence of the alleged scheme to steer a do-nothing contract to ex-state Rep. Edward Acevedo to help win the powerful speaker’s support on key legislation in Springfield.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Dec 12, 24 @ 2:37 pm:
- as long as you are sure we will get credit and the box checked -
It is truly amazing the amount of dumb things this cast of characters put into email. How did this clown car keep running as long as it did?
- Ryder - Thursday, Dec 12, 24 @ 4:08 pm:
Near the end…Madigan’s Operation really got sloppy. Funneling money to a Madigan Aide accused of sexual harassment…after going public that it was a new day in Springfield takes the cake. Bewildering and just plain stupid best explains it. You kinda get what you deserve.
- low level - Thursday, Dec 12, 24 @ 4:58 pm:
== after going public that it was a new day in Springfield==
They didnt think these payments would be made public. Had they known, they wouldnt have done it. Its as simple as that.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Dec 12, 24 @ 5:07 pm:
For whatever it’s worth, it seems to me a lot of the defense sided criticism of this trial are more directed at the legal concept of circumstantial evidence than the bribery statute.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Dec 12, 24 @ 6:37 pm:
- Near the end…Madigan’s Operation really got sloppy. -
I don’t believe that. I think they were just lucky for a very long time that no one inside the circle flipped and cooperated.