* Isabel and I drove together last Sunday to see our Uncle Kenny (her great uncle) and she was killing some time scrolling through Twitter. All of a sudden she exclaimed that Wilco was playing that very night at Carol’s Pub in Chicago. Alas, we couldn’t score any tickets. But here’s a Grateful Dead cover from one of the shows…
Gimme five, I’m still alive
Ain’t no luck, I learned to duck.
Will County State’s Attorney and Democrat James Glasgow was on Chicago’s Morning Answer with Dan Proft & Amy Jacobson Friday morning and discussed the latest updates on the status of the “SAFE-T Act,” the notoriously unpopular and controversial Illinois law set to take effect statewide on January 1st, 2023.
Among those updates are that there are now 56 County State’s Attorney’s who have filed suit seeking declaration the law is unconstitutional, and that it should be enjoined from implementation on Jan. 1st. Only 2 of Illinois’ 102 State’s Attorneys support the law.
Consolidation of all of the cases into a single case is currently pending.
Glasgow also refuted two of fellow Democrat Governor JB Pritzker’s recent public defenses of the law, namely that the SAFE-T Act addresses “poor women who need to steal diapers for their babies, but can’t afford to post bail,” and also the notion that “there are no non-detainable offenses.”
Glasgow: “Obviously, that is not the truth…The non-detainables are not listed in the statute but you figure them out, because the ones that are detainable are listed.”
“As to the diaper example, we don’t have any such people in our jail either, and also Dan, the law’s been amended: On the low-level offenses, a person gets $30 credit for every day they served in jail, so if the bond is $3,000 they wouldn’t do more than 10 days [$300, or 10% of bail] so it’s shocking that they don’t know that.”
Glasgow had a dire conclusion: “I was running around here with my hair on fire back in July because nobody was talking about the fact of releasing these prisoners in the jails. The reason that I have peace and quiet in Will County is because I’m able to restrain the violent offenders. When Chicago gang members come to Will County, they usually don’t leave, they’re in the Will County jail, and the word gets to Chicago, and they don’t come here anymore. I lose that ability [on Jan 1 when SAFE-T ACT takes effect statewide] and then the violent predators who are terrorizing Chicago, they’re gonna branch out. It’s always the path of least resistance, but we give a maximum resistance in Will County. I’ll lose all that with this new law.”
* I asked the governor’s office for a response. Here’s Jordan Abudayyeh…
The current cash bond system that State’s Attorney Glasgow is so vehemently defending allows those “violent offenders and gang members” to buy their way out of jail. You’d think State’s Attorney Glasgow would understand the shortcomings of cash bail since prisoners in his own jail ran an alleged scam to get cash and were then released. The offenders in that scam were charged with felonies for weapon and drug offenses, but were able to buy their way out of jail. If the State’s Attorney is concerned with public safety in his community, then he should focus more time on building cases to keep violent offenders in jail instead of spreading misinformation. Once the SAFE-T Act is in place, violent offenders will no longer be able to buy their way out of jail because detention will be based on risk, not wealth, and State’s Attorneys will be able to present evidence in front of a judge – as they do now – to detain the alleged offender.
Bailey did offer one surprise: He said the state needs to cut spending on grade and high school education, suggesting at one point that many children in regions of the state, such as his area, head for the military or factory jobs and do not need the broader curriculum mandated by state law.
The state should be paying less money. The state should be pulling back, letting the local school boards determine how they want to educate their children, offering school choice. […]
What is good for New Trier is not good for Clay County, Illinois. Most, many of our children are, some of our children are going to go to the military. They’re going to go right into the workforce. There’s welders, pipe fitters, linemen. So that’s what public education needs to be.
“I’m pro-life,” he said, adding, “I couldn’t change anything if I wanted to.”
That might appease some independent voters worried that Bailey would scrap abortion laws in the state if he were elected governor. He knows that as long as Democrats control the General Assembly, that won’t happen. Democratic insiders, meanwhile, worry that electing a Republican to the governor’s mansion would be the beginning of a chipping-away at such rights – or so they say.
The real question is, if Bailey knows he doesn’t have the power to end abortion rights, why does he think he can repeal criminal justice reform laws that the General Assembly passed and Gov. JB Pritzker signed?
Bailey sees an opening: Where abortion is an impenetrable issue in Illinois, he says there are enough concerned Democrats to support a repeal of the SAFE-T Act.
In a statement to Playbook: The SAFE-T Act legislation “narrowly passed in the middle of the night, and there is an appetite for change on this policy,” Bailey spokesman Joe DeBose said in a statement. “Darren will work with all stakeholders to repeal it and replace it.”
Teachers aren’t teaching today because of the regulations that state government has put on them. I’ve experienced that. When we all went to school - probably not you, young man, but some of the rest of us - teachers went home and sometimes they worked on homework, they graded homework. You know what they do now? They spend their time filling out discipline reports. They spend their time filling out progress reports so they can send back to the state. And it’s not working.
* Because… Madigan! in CD13…
While struggling to connect with voters or talk substantively about anything besides abortion at a recent debate, Nikki Budzinski asked her opponent Regan Deering what she had been doing in Central Illinois all these years.
Today is a great day to address that question, and the answer is: working for organizations in her community and NOT with Mike Madigan.
Not surprisingly, after spending her entire career working for politicians and special interest groups, Budzinski is tied to multiple corruption investigations, especially those involving disgraced former Illinois Speaker of the House Mike Madigan.
Budzinski was at the center of the Madigan List scandal. After Gov. Pritzker’s election, Madigan’s office sent Budzinski and Anne Caprara a list of people he wanted placed into permanent positions. Budzinski then helped place at least 35 people from the list into prime spots in state government who would go on to receive more than $2.5 million a year in state salaries. Among those placed was Carrie Zalewski as head of the Illinois Commerce Commission that regulates public utilities such as Comed, the company that would help lead to Madigan’s indictment.
Budzinski’s connections to the Comed bribery indictments don’t stop there. She went on to help Speaker Madigan in a new way, by hedging the Clean Energy Jobs Coalition that sent billions of bailout dollars to Comed AFTER the company admitted to participating in a years-long patronage scheme to stay in Madigan’s good graces.
Budzinski also testified before a federal grand jury in the corruption case against former Rep. Luis Arroyo, who pled guilty and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for a bribery scheme in which he offered another politician monthly payments to support legislation to legalize sweepstakes machines.
Budzinski was also named multiple times in the case against Jenny Thornley who was indicted by a Sangamon County grand jury in September for allegedly cheating the state out of up to $100,000 in overtime she allegedly never worked.
“We know from her ads that Nikki is looking to boost her name ID, but someone should tell her that being listed in indictments is probably not the best way to do it,” said Regan 4 Congress Campaign Manager Melanie Meyers. “Nikki Budzinski is part of the Madigan Machine that Regan Deering is running to disassemble. A vote for Nikki is a vote for corrupt pay-to-play politics, and a vote for Regan is a vote for change.”
* Press release…
ILAFL-CIO President Tim Drea issued the following response to Cornell University ILR Review study.
“This week’s study from Cornell University demonstrates that union workers’ will make a million dollars more over the course of their career when compared to non-union counterparts. This is good news for Illinoisans.
Illinois has some of the strongest worker protection and prevailing wage laws in the country, yet there is still work ahead. Today, workers of all stripes are demanding better conditions, pay and benefits.
As Illinoisans, we can seize this momentum by passing the Workers’ Rights Amendment to protect union jobs for future generations that provide stability and prosperity for all, no matter their zip code, race, ethnicity, or education level.
Unions are critical to fostering a just economy where all workers’ have a seat at the table.”
Please attached for the most up-to-date Early Vote and Vote By Mail totals in Chicago, night of Thursday, October 13, 2022.
The Early Vote total stands at 1,525 ballots cast.
Additionally, 7,444 Vote By Mail ballots have been returned to the Board – total VBM applications stands at 173,071.
The grand total is 8,969 ballots cast so far in Chicago for the November 8th General Election.
* Vote Yes For Clean Air, Clean Water & Wildlife TV ad 1…
Vote Yes For Clean Air, Clean Water & Wildlife TV ad 2…
* Somebody I know who’s not directly connected to any campaigns and who wishes to remain anonymous spoofed Dan Proft’s ads that feature Charles Thomas…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* ‘Sickened, but not surprised’: What lawmakers are saying about new charges against Madigan: Suburban lawmakers expressed anger, frustration and other emotions following the announcement of new charges against disgraced former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. “(I) am of course sickened but not surprised,” said Democratic state Sen. Melinda Bush of Grayslake, a long-standing critic of Madigan and one of the first legislators to call for his eventual resignation.
* Editorial: For Illinois attorney general, the clear choice is Kwame Raoul: DeVore has chosen to not take part in the Tribune’s endorsement process, but that doesn’t really matter. Too often his response to critics is to simply sue them. We find him unqualified for the job. […] Raoul pledges to expand the attorney general’s jurisdiction over corruption cases, and Illinoisans should hold him to that pledge. In this important race, he is clearly the best qualified candidate.
* Darren Bailey skirts questions about PAC cash being used on his campaign: On the Uihlein cash? “I’m grateful for Mr. Uihlein, for what he’s done to help us. What he does through the [PAC] I have absolutely no knowledge or discretion of what they do.” He added later, “I’m in the driver’s seat of my campaign… I have no input on that.” And what does he think of those nasty TV ads? “I don’t watch TV,” he said, laughing. (Meanwhile, the Pritzker campaign asserts Bailey discussed the ads with Proft on his TV show.)
* Ballot error in Schuyler County, Illinois, results in early votes being tossed: An error on the 2022 general election ballot in Schuyler County, Illinois, has resulted in dozens of early votes being thrown out, according to the county clerk. Schuyler County Clerk and Recorder Mindy Garrett said 45 people had voted before the mistake was noticed on Wednesday. She said her office had also sent out 307 vote-by-mail ballots and volunteers were working Friday to resend updated ballots.
* Candidates make their case for how they would represent sprawling, Latino-centric district: With less than a month until Election Day, Democratic state Rep. Delia Ramirez points voters to the historic nature of her candidacy in a new congressional district that runs from Chicago’s Northwest Side about 30 miles west into DuPage County. “This moment allows for the constituents of the 3rd Congressional District to elect the first Latina in the entire Midwest to go to Congress,” Ramirez said.
* ACLU: Pretrial Fairness Act needs reform, not complete overhaul: Ben Ruddell, criminal justice attorney at the ACLU of Illinois, said reform attempts regarding the PFA will likely come during next month’s veto session in the Illinois General Assembly. The last two years of conversations among Illinois Supreme Court working groups revealed that further change is needed, he said, mainly in terms of clarifying language.
* Why sheriffs and prosecutors are so concerned about the Safe-T Act in Illinois: Tazewell County Sheriff Jeff Lower minced no words, saying “You have our leaders in Chicago saying that we are giving all the control to the judges and that’s a blatant lie. If you look at the statute, this is a total gamechanger of how we do our jobs.” To him, no-cash bail will put more work on his deputies and on judges. Moreover, he’s upset there’s only a few months until Jan. 1 and he doesn’t know yet how this will look within Tazewell County.
* Illinois’ 1st Congressional District Candidates: General Election 2022: The Republican side of June’s Primary Election was much closer, as Carlson secured the nomination with 40.5 percent of the votes. Challenger Jeff Regnier tallied 39.1 percent of votes. Only around 350 votes separated the two. […] Patch sent each of the candidates questionnaires to give each the opportunity to allow voters to get to know more about them. Carlson submitted his responses to the questionnaire, while Jackson has not.
Club For Growth Action out with the first general election independent expenditure in #IL11, dropping $471K on ads supporting Republican Catalina Lauf and opposing Bill Foster. https://t.co/IloQhIgOA9pic.twitter.com/1NF2j8Dtln
While liberal @Foster4Congress has been a rubber stamp for Joe Biden’s agenda that has led to soaring inflation, conservative @CatalinaLauf will shake up Washington and stop Democrats’ reckless spending.
Did you know radical liberal @Foster4Congress is endorsed by groups that want to defund the police and voted with Nancy Pelosi to make Illinois safer for criminals? Learn the truth about Bill Foster: pic.twitter.com/kTC6DhftKK
Timothy Mapes, the former chief of staff to then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, walked into the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Thursday morning for a status hearing on charges he lied to a federal grand jury investigating the alleged ComEd scheme. […]
Kness set a hearing for Mapes for Nov. 29, when he will hear arguments on pending motions and likely set a new trial date.
Mapes, 67, of Springfield, is free on a recognizance bond. He entered the courthouse Thursday with his attorneys and did not speak during the 15-minute hearing.
An indictment filed last year alleged Mapes repeatedly lied during a March 31, 2021, appearance before the grand jury when asked about Madigan’s relationship with his longtime confidant Michael McClain, who was charged in 2020 with orchestrating a bribery scheme by Commonwealth Edison to shower money on Madigan’s associates in exchange for the speaker’s help with legislation in Springfield.
Federal prosecutors are asking for 19 months in prison for former Teamsters union boss John Coli Sr., who pleaded guilty to extorting a Chicago film studio boss and helped federal investigators secure a ghost payrolling conviction against state Sen. Thomas Cullerton.
Coli, for years a politically connected and nationally known fixture in the Teamsters, pleaded guilty in July 2019 to one count each of receiving illegal payments and filing a false income tax return, admitting he extorted a total of $325,000 from Cinespace Chicago Film Studio President Alex Pissios. […]
In a sentencing memo filed late Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu wrote that Coli’s extortion was “prolonged, calculated and deliberate,” involving regular bribe payments in “envelopes bursting with wads” of $25,000 in cash. […]
Federal sentencing guidelines called for up to about three years behind bars. Coli should be given a significant break, however, because of his cooperation against Cullerton, according to the filing.
In making his request to U.S. District Chief Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu wrote that Coli “has accepted responsibility for his criminal conduct.”
“Experience in this courthouse teaches this is not an easy thing for a prominent local leader to do,” Bhachu wrote. “It is easy to assemble a busload of public figures similarly situated to Coli in this district who could not bring themselves to accept responsibility.” […]
Though plenty of public corruption cases followed, the only one Coli is known to have a hand in is the embezzlement case that put Cullerton in prison. A federal grand jury indicted Cullerton just days after Coli’s guilty plea in 2019. Cullerton entered his own guilty plea this year, and he was sentenced to one year behind bars. […]
The former labor leader’s sentencing hearing is set for Oct. 26.
* And Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) says she intends to introduce anti-bullying legislation. From Ray Long and Dan Petrella at the Tribune…
On addressing the lingering issues of harassment and bad behavior in Springfield, one veteran Chicago Democrat said this week she’s pushing for an anti-bullying law that would be added to the ban on sexual harassment and mandated training for lawmakers, staff and lobbyists that were put in place following the #MeToo scandals that began in 2017.
State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz said she intends to propose legislation as soon as the lame-duck period before a new legislative session begins in mid-January. She said bullying “happens as much — if not more” than sexual harassment in Springfield, and that more needs to be done to address the statehouse atmosphere and workplaces throughout Illinois. […]
Another Democratic senator said that — since the #MeToo reckoning at the state Capitol — there seems to be less “actual sexual kind of aggression.” But there is still “bullying behavior,” said the lawmaker, who asked not to be named. “It’s aggressive power behavior, and that definitely is directed more at women than it is at men.” […]
[Sen. Michael Hastings] also has received criticism from longtime Springfield lobbyist Jennifer Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. She told the Tribune that during negotiations on several occasions over the last five years Hastings became “extremely hostile” and flashed “hair-trigger anger.” […]
Hastings’ spokesman Ray Hanania said the senator denies such behavior with women, adding that the accusations are a “cheap shot” and that the use of allegations arising from his divorce proceedings amounted to “playing politics.”
In a separate interview in July on the “Public Affairs” show hosted by Jeff Berkowitz and published on the Illinois Channel YouTube page, he said he believed “there’s no question there’s a deep state,” and it was aligned against him in the GOP primary.
In his interview with Capitol News Illinois, he said he didn’t recall the post-primary interview and didn’t directly define “deep state” or answer as to whether he believes in one, but he said he believes “most Republicans” are now on board with his candidacy.
Q: You made a comment that you thought there was a deep state lining up against you within the primary and I wonder what that means.
Curran: A deep state in the primary?
Q: Yeah. There is a deep state lining up against you.
Curran: No, I mean, yeah. I mean, when you’re running for a legislative office, it’s far different than when you’re running for a judicial. And the reality is that I think a lot of people have seen this that, that the Republicans are in a super minority, and that one of the problems, I think, is that the leadership has stayed too long in many instances, and they’re way too friendly with the Democratic Party. And only the only reason I say that is because oftentimes it seems as though they vote in a rule when they legislate in a way that’s maybe good for them and not their constituents. And I think that we need to I think we’re better served by having a to a truly a two party system and you know, not not one that just kind of sits back, rubber stamps and make sure that they can get reelected, regardless of what happens to the rest of the people that represent their party.
Q: Okay, so…
Curran: I was kind of a bowling ball in a china shop at times, you know, if I didn’t like something, I said it.
Q: Yeah. So this was actually in July, I think, when this interview was posted. I mean…
Curran: So it would’ve been after the primary, yeah.
Q: Right. So any, I mean, is there a deep state?
Curran: Oh, in, for me? In this, in this race are you talking about?
Q: Yeah, I found an interview with you on Illinois channel that was posted in July after this primary in which you said…
Curran: I don’t remember that interview, I’ll be honest with you.
And while Curran’s Facebook page circulated claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election in a Jan. 3, 2021, post, he said other people had access to that page and he hasn’t posted about the election.
“I’ve said Joe Biden won, and I absolutely believe that,” he said.
Curran: Yeah, I mean, let’s put it this way. You guys are never going to catch me lying. I, I don’t, I, other people posted on my Facebook page. I did not. I’ve never posted anything about the election. So I’ve never, you know, some stuff that’s been attributed to me, other people had access to my page and posted, you know, with regards to the election. I’ve said before Joe Biden won and I absolutely believe that.
Curran spoke more directly to the role of partisanship on the high court, stating that while he wouldn’t rule in a partisan manner, he’d rule in a manner “that is a balance to the governor.”
“Let’s say Darren Bailey wins – he is behind in the polls and everything but, you know, I hope Darren Bailey wins,” Curran said when asked what’s at stake in the Supreme Court election. “Even if he wins, chances are he’s going to be totally ineffective in many regards, because of the fact that the General Assembly has enough votes to override any veto by the governor. So the state will continue to be run by one party, that party being the Democrats. And there’s no check and balance or anything in the state.”
“Lake County is not purple, it’s blue, folks,” Curran said. “You know, the wrong people moved in, what have you. We need to change that and we will.”
Curran said later that he was saying that “it was a Republican county and then Democrats moved in,” and the “wrong people” comment had nothing to do with race. “The ethnic groups haven’t changed,” he said. “We’re the same percentages.”
* In the full interview, Curran was also asked about the All For Justice TV ads which claim he is anti-abortion, including being opposed to exceptions for rape and incest…
I’m Catholic, and I’m, I’m sort of pro-life. I don’t remember ever saying anything about rape or incest or anything else.
This is from that very same 2019 Bernie Schoenburg story…
He also said Durbin is “not really a Catholic,” noting that Durbin, who is Catholic, has been denied communion in his home diocese in Springfield because he backs legal abortion.
Curran said he is pro-life and would only allow abortion to save the life of the mother.
In the open race to succeed retiring Secretary of State Jesse White, former Democratic state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias leads Republican state Rep. Dan Brady 43% to 32%, with Libertarian Jon Stewart poised to play the role of spoiler with 8%. […]
In the race to become the state’s chief legal officer, first-term Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul is ahead of Republican Thomas G. DeVore by a 44% to 35% spread. Libertarian Daniel K. Robin drew support from 8% of those polled. […]
In other statewide races, second-term Democratic state Comptroller Susana Mendoza holds a 46% to 32% lead over Republican Shannon L. Teresi. Libertarian Deirdre McCloskey trails far behind at 7%. Undecideds total 15%.
And in the race for state treasurer, two-term Democratic incumbent Michael W. Frerichs has a 43% to 35% lead over state Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, who also is a member of Durkin’s House GOP leadership team and a five-term House member. Libertarian Preston Nelson has 6%, with another 16% undecided.
Public Policy Polling surveyed 770 likely voters in Illinois on Monday and Tuesday. The margin of error for the poll is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Half of the surveys were conducted via telephone, while the other half were conducted via text message.
* AT&T’s alleged motive to play ball, from today’s federal indictment of AT&T Illinois’ former president Paul La Schiazza…
Between in or around 2010 and continuing until in or around 2015, AT&T Illinois unsuccessfully worked to enact legislation in the Illinois General Assembly that would have made it easier to terminate its obligation to provide landline telephone services to all Illinois residents, which was commonly referred to as the carrier of last resort (“COLR”) obligation. AT&T Illinois projected that it would save millions of dollars through the passage of COLR legislation and the elimination of its obligation to provide landline services to all Illinois residents.
In or around 2017, AT&T Illinois continued to advocate for the passage of COLR legislation by the Illinois General Assembly. The General Assembly passed AT&T Illinois’s COLR legislation, contained in Senate Bill 1839, on or about May 31, 2017, but it was vetoed by the Governor of Illinois. Another version of the COLR legislation, contained in House Bill 1811, was passed by the General Assembly, and it was vetoed by the Governor again. The veto was overridden in the House and Senate on or about July 1, 2017, and the COLR legislation became law. Madigan voted in favor of House Bill 1811, and voted to override the Governor’s veto of House Bill 1811.
Beginning no later than in or around February 2017, and continuing through in or around January 2018, in the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, and elsewhere, PAUL LA SCHIAZZA, defendant herein, did conspire with Michael J. Madigan, Michael F. McClain, and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury:
a. to corruptly solicit and demand, and to accept and agree to accept from another person things of value, namely, monetary payments to Individual FR-1 [Ed Acevedo], for the benefit of Madigan and Individual FR-1, intending that Madigan, an agent of the State of Illinois, be influenced and rewarded in connection with any business, transaction, and series of transactions of the State of Illinois involving things of value of $5,000 or more, namely, COLR legislation, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(B)
The carrier of last resort language was inserted into the bill, the feds allege, by then-Speaker Madigan and Mike McClain. Their alleged motive was some money for Ed Acevedo, who left the House and was apparently looking for income.
a. On or about February 14, 2017, McClain sent an email to Individual ATT-1 asking for “a small contract” for [Ed Acevedo].
b. On or about February 16, 2017, LA SCHIAZZA informed AT&T Illinois employees that McClain had been assigned by Madigan to work on AT&T Illinois’s legislation as a “Special Project.”
c. On or about March 28, 2017, LA SCHIAZZA sent an email to Individual ATT-1 and Individual ATT-3 in which he indicated that McClain had called to ask if AT&T Illinois had $2,500 or $3,000 per month for a “small contract” for [Ed Acevedo].
d. On or about March 28, 2017, LA SCHIAZZA advised Individual ATT-1 and Individual ATT-3 that AT&T Illinois had received a “GO order” to hire [Ed Acevedo].
e. On or about March 31, 2017, LA SCHIAZZA wrote an email in which he advised Individual ATT-1, Individual ATT-2, and Individual ATT-3 that he had no objection to paying [Ed Acevedo] through an intermediary as a consultant, instead of directly as a lobbyist, “as long as you are sure we will get credit and the box checked.”
f. On or about March 31, 2017, Individual ATT-3 wrote an email in which Individual ATT-3 asked Individual ATT-1 and Individual ATT-2 the following about hiring [Ed Acevedo] through an intermediary as a consultant: “[A]re we 100% certain that we will get credit for being responsive?”
g. On or about March 31, 2017, Individual ATT-3 wrote an email to Individual ATT-1 and Individual ATT-2, in which he added, “I think remaining question is if we would get credit from the powers that be.”
h. On or about March 31, 2017, Individual ATT-2 wrote an email responding to the email referenced in paragraph 17(g) above, “I would hope that as long as we explain the approach to McClain and [Ed Acevedo] gets the money then the ultimate objective is reached.”
i. On or about March 31, 2017, Individual ATT-3 wrote an email responding to the email referenced in paragraph 17(h) above, “I don’t think Paul [LA SCHIAZZA] wants this based on ‘hope.’ We need to confirm prior to executing this strategy.”
j. On or about April 2, 2017, Individual ATT-1 texted McClain that he wanted to discuss a “consulting issue.”
k. On or about April 5, 2017, in connection with the payment of [Ed Acevedo], Individual ATT-3 submitted a false justification via email to a fellow AT&T Illinois employee in support of increasing the monthly payment made to Intermediary 4, so that Intermediary 4 could in turn pay [Ed Acevedo] $2,500 a month for the remainder of 2017.
l. On or about April 20, 2017, LA SCHIAZZA signed a contract amendment on behalf of AT&T Illinois that increased compensation to Intermediary 4 by $2,500 per month for April 2017 through December 2017.
m. On or about April 26, 2017, after Intermediary 4’s contract had been amended so that AT&T Illinois could make indirect payments through Intermediary 4 to [Ed Acevedo], Individual ATT-2, Individual ATT-3, and the owner of Intermediary 4 met with [Ed Acevedo] for the first time to discuss paying [Ed Acevedo] $2,500 per month to prepare a report on the political dynamics of the General Assembly’s and the City of Chicago’s Latino Caucus.
n. On or about April 28, 2017, after [Ed Acevedo] had rejected the proposal to indirectly pay him $2,500 a month as being insufficient, Individual ATT-1 contacted McClain and confirmed that $2,500 per month was sufficient.
o. On or about May 26, 2017, the Speaker’s office requested a complete roll call on Senate Bill 1839, which included the COLR legislation.
p. On or about May 31, 2017, Madigan voted in favor of Senate Bill 1839.
q. On or about June 29, 2017, after the COLR legislation had been added as an amendment to House Bill 1811, Madigan voted in favor of the amendment to House Bill 1811.
r. On or about July 1, 2017, Madigan voted to override the Governor’s veto of House Bill 1811.
s. On or about each date set forth below, the conspirators caused payments to be made to Intermediary 4 in the approximate amount set forth below, with a substantial portion of each payment intended for Individual FR-1:
t. On or about each date set forth below, Intermediary 4 caused a check to be made to a company designated by Individual FR-1 in the approximate amount set forth below, for payments totaling approximately $22,500:
* High numbers for a third party candidate generally means that voters are looking for an alternative to the two main candidates. Here’s Tina Sfondeles and Dave McKinney…
In the governor’s race, the poll found Pritzker leading Bailey 49% to 34%, with Libertarian Scott Schluter boasting 8% — with 9% of those polled still undecided. When it comes to offering their opinions of the candidates, 46% of those surveyed held favorable views of Pritzker, 46% unfavorable and 9% were unsure. […]
Pritzker and Bailey were tied among downstate voters with 40% each, while Pritzker was leading the downstate farmer in Chicago 78% to 12%. The spreads were closer in suburban Cook and the collar counties, but the Democratic governor still held the edge. […]
The poll also found U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth leading her Republican opponent, Kathy Salvi, 50% to 36%, with 5% supporting Libertarian Bill Redpath and another 9% undecided.
The poll of 770 likely general election voters, conducted by Public Policy Polling, was taken on October 10 and 11 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5%. Of those polled, 38% said they were Democrats, 32% said they were Republicans and 30% were independents. The geographic breakdown was 35% downstate, 26% collar counties, 20% Chicago and 19% in suburban Cook County.
Bruce Rauner got 15 percent of Chicago’s vote in 2018, and 21 percent in 2014, so some slippage for Bailey. The big surprise there is Downstate. That’s the second media poll in a row showing some surprising Downstate strength for Pritzker. Wish we had suburban numbers, though.
And if the Libertarians manage to get major party ballot status with a big showing this year, that’ll be one more of many hurdles for the Illinois GOP.
AT&T Illinois has agreed to pay a $23 million fine as part of a federal criminal investigation into the company’s illegal efforts to influence former House Speaker Michael Madigan.
The investigation of AT&T Illinois, which was previously reported by the Tribune earlier this year, is being resolved with a deferred prosecution agreement under which the company admitted it arranged for payments to be made to an ally of Madigan to influence the powerful speaker’s efforts to assist with legislation sought by the company in Springfield.
In exchange for admitting guilt and paying a $23 million fine, the charge will be dropped by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in two years. […]
The payments to [former state Rep. Edward Acevedo] were made via a lobbying contract between AT&T and Thomas Cullen, a former Madigan staffer and longtime political strategist aligned with the speaker, two sources told the newspaper.
Acevedo was a registered lobbyist at the time, state records show, but not for AT&T, and the sources said the amount of work Acevedo actually did for AT&T is in question.
Whew. Stay tuned because this post will be updated.
*** UPDATE 1 *** AT&T’s response…
AT&T has issued this response to news of its involvement in the Springfield/Madigan corruption scandal pic.twitter.com/EQKq5LgjGq
The former president of Illinois Bell Telephone Company, which does business as AT&T Illinois, has been charged in federal court with participating in a conspiracy to unlawfully influence the former Illinois Speaker of the House of Representatives involving the company’s efforts to advance legislation in the Illinois General Assembly.
PAUL LA SCHIAZZA conspired in 2017 with former Speaker Michael J. Madigan, Madigan’s close friend, Michael McClain, and others, to corruptly arrange for $22,500 to be paid to a Madigan ally, according to a five-count indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. AT&T Illinois caused the payments to be made through an intermediary – a lobbying firm that performed services for AT&T Illinois – to conceal the true nature of the payments, which was to influence and reward Madigan’s efforts as Speaker to assist the company with respect to certain legislation, the indictment alleges. Although the members of the conspiracy formulated a pretextual assignment for Madigan’s ally to disguise why the ally was being paid, the ally performed no actual work for AT&T Illinois and had no role in advancing the legislation, the indictment states.
La Schiazza, 65, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of corruptly giving something of value to reward a public official, and three counts of using a facility in interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Ashley T. Johnson, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amarjeet S. Bhachu, Diane MacArthur, Timothy J. Chapman, Sarah E. Streicker, Michelle Kramer, and Julia Schwartz.
Also today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a one-count criminal information charging AT&T Illinois with using an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity.
The public is reminded that charges are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Illinois Bell Telephone Company, LLC, which does business as AT&T Illinois, today agreed to pay $23 million to resolve a federal criminal investigation into alleged misconduct involving the company’s efforts to unlawfully influence former Illinois Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan.
The investigation of AT&T Illinois is being resolved with a deferred prosecution agreement under which the company admitted it arranged for payments to be made to an ally of Madigan to influence and reward Madigan’s efforts to assist AT&T Illinois with respect to legislation sought by the company. The U.S. Attorney’s Office today filed a one-count criminal information in U.S. District Court in Chicago charging AT&T Illinois with using an interstate facility to promote legislative misconduct. Under the agreement, the government will defer prosecution on the charge for two years and then seek to dismiss it if AT&T Illinois abides by certain conditions, including continuing to cooperate with any investigation related to the misconduct alleged in the information.
The deferred prosecution agreement requires AT&T Illinois to pay $23 million to the federal Crime Victims Fund. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The charge and the deferred prosecution agreement were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Ashley T. Johnson, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amarjeet S. Bhachu, Diane MacArthur, Timothy J. Chapman, Sarah E. Streicker, Michelle Kramer, and Julia Schwartz.
AT&T Illinois’s admissions regarding the charged conduct are contained in a Statement of Facts attached to the deferred prosecution agreement. AT&T Illinois admitted that in 2017 it arranged for an ally of Madigan to indirectly receive $22,500 in payments from the company. The company paid the money through an intermediary – a lobbying firm that performed services for AT&T Illinois. Although AT&T Illinois employees formulated a pretextual assignment for Madigan’s ally to disguise why the ally was being paid, the ally performed no actual work for AT&T Illinois and the company made no effort to ensure any work was performed. AT&T Illinois acknowledged in the agreement that AT&T Illinois’s then-president used an interstate facility to facilitate Madigan’s indirect receipt of a thing of value, namely the payments made to his ally, in exchange for Madigan’s vote and influence over a bill.
In addition to the monetary penalty and its continued cooperation with the government, AT&T Illinois’s obligations under the agreement include implementing a new compliance and ethics program and providing annual reports to the government regarding remediation and implementation of the program. If AT&T Illinois fails to completely fulfill each of its obligations under the agreement during the two-year term, the U.S. Attorney’s Office can initiate prosecution of the charged offense.
The deferred prosecution agreement is here. The “information” is here.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Gonna be a busy Friday…
Madigan and longtime confidant Michael McClain now face an additional conspiracy count alleging the corrupt scheme with AT&T Illinois.
“Indicted former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s legacy continues to haunt Illinois as he now faces additional corruption-related charges. Since 2019, nine Chicago Democratic Aldermen & women, three Democratic State Representatives, and four Democratic State Senators have been indicted or convicted on corruption-related charges, including Madigan himself.
While these additional charges, as well as AT&T’s settlement, is another step towards justice, with Ilinois Democrats and their corruption charges, it’s like the “Never Ending Story”. This sad saga hasn’t ended with Madigan. It will only end when Democratic leaders like Speaker Welch and Senate President Harmon stop turning a blind eye to Madiganesque behavior in their caucuses.”
- Mega donor Uihlein kicks in millions to help elect Republicans who question election results: “More than nine of every 10 dollars mega donors Dick Uihlein and his wife Liz have contributed directly to congressional candidates running in the midterms have gone to Republicans who cast doubt on President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020,” reports Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles
- In IL-10, Republican Joseph Severino says his new poll by Victory Research shows he’s still in the hunt. Though POLITICO’s Forecast 2022 has the race as going solid Democrat for Rep. Brad Schneider.
* Democrats defend the SAFE-T Act as opposition grows: A recent panel discussion was held to “dispel myths on ending money bonds” in the state, organizers said. One of the architects of the law, state Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, said the crime wave is a byproduct of the current judicial system.
* Daily Herald Endorsement: Kwame Raoul for attorney general: four years ago, we endorsed Raoul based on his depth of understanding of the law, his experience and his passion on behalf of public service. He has not disappointed. He has been an activist attorney general who has upheld the energetic decadeslong consumer-focused traditions of the attorney general’s office. Raoul has earned another term.
* Daily Herald opinion: Mike Frerichs endorsed for another term as state treasurer: In his two terms as Illinois’ chief investment officer, the state has topped $1.2 billion in investment gains while cutting investment fees by more than $100 million. Frerichs accelerated and increased repayments of unclaimed property by modernizing this once paper-based program.
* Race could determine partisan makeup of state’s high court: It’s a race that’s become more visible on the airwaves in recent days, with Gov. JB Pritzker chipping $500,000 into the Rochford campaign war chest. Her backers have aired ads that highlight Curran’s long history of antiabortion rhetoric. Rochford, meanwhile, has support from abortion rights advocacy groups and her campaign website bills her as a champion of women’s rights.
* Senate District 31 candidates have different views on SAFE-T Act, other issues: Listening to former state Rep. Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville, and Republican Adam Solano of Third Lake, talk about the SAFE-T Act, a voter might think the two Illinois state Senate candidates are speaking about two different pieces of legislation. “It needs to be repealed or heavily fixed,” Solano said. “It’s wrong to keep people in jail just because they don’t have money, but let violent people walk free because they do,” Edly-Allen said.
* Candidates make their case for election to state House in Districts 51 and 52: Both Syed and Bos want to see a reduction in gun violence, but they have different approaches. Syed said she will support legislation to ban military assault weapons and wants to find ways to stem the flow of weapons arriving in Illinois from other states with laxer laws.
