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* Capitol News Illinois…
It wasn’t quite “where’s the beef?” but when he stepped outside a suburban Wendy’s with a fellow lawmaker on a hot August morning in 2019, then-state Sen. Terry Link asked a question to the same effect as the fast-food giant’s former slogan.
“What’s in it for me, though?” Link asked then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who had been pitching him – once again – on sponsoring legislation to regulate so-called sweepstakes machines, a legally murky form of gambling.
The answer to that question became central to the federal government’s case against politically connected businessman James Weiss, which ended Thursday with a jury convicting Weiss on seven counts, including bribery and lying to the FBI.
Federal sentencing guidelines dictate a maximum of 20 years in prison for the most serious of the charges, though those convicted of public corruption have faced wildly different sentences.
* Sun-Times…
The verdict is the second in less than two months to address separate bribery schemes inside the Illinois Capitol. Weiss is a son-in-law of former Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios.
The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for four hours before finding Weiss guilty of honest services wire and mail fraud, bribery, and lying to the FBI. The bribery scheme involved then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who is now in prison, and then-state Sen. Terry Link, who cooperated with the FBI but faces sentencing for his own tax crimes. […]
After the verdict was read, juror Abriana Sutherland-Scienski told reporters it was clear that “Mr. Weiss was not gonna get out of this.” She said some arguments made by his defense attorneys were “insulting to our intelligence.” She specifically cited comments by attorney Ilia Usharovich about “correlation and coincidence” that she called “a pretty grade school-type argument.”
* The Tribune…
The charges alleged Weiss desperately wanted the state’s gambling expansion bill to include language explicitly legalizing sweepstakes machines, but it was left out of the proposal in the 2019 spring session. Weiss then agreed to pay monthly $2,500 bribes to get a deal done, first to state Rep. Luis Arroyo and later to state Sen. Terry Link, who was a chief sponsor of the gambling bill in the Senate, according to prosecutors.
Arroyo and Weiss didn’t know that Link, a Vernon Hills Democrat, was cooperating with the FBI. Link, who is hoping for a break on his own federal tax conviction in exchange for his cooperation, testified over two days beginning last week about his undercover role.
Weiss’ attorneys argued Weiss was paying Arroyo as a legitimate consultant for his business, and that trying to enlist another politician’s help is not a crime.
They also tried to drag the state’s long history of public corruption into the courtroom by claiming that the video gaming industry, which was vehemently opposed to Weiss’ business, had the rest of the General Assembly in its pocket.
* More…
* Sun-Times | Chicago politics take center stage as feds wind down their corruption case against businessman James Weiss: Businessman James T. Weiss is accused of bribing two state lawmakers to push legislation in Springfield, but it was Chicago politics that took center stage as his corruption trial neared its end Tuesday.
posted by Isabel Miller
Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:18 pm
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Previous Post: What in the heck is going on in Will County?
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I wonder if it occurred to Weiss to either cop a plea or change counsel following his attorney’s strange behavior just before the trial began. That had to be unsettling.
The Mickey Mouse tie and the Tony Soprano look also weren’t the best choices for Weiss.
On the bright side, he’s young. He’ll be out of prison in a few years and with any luck, his father-in-law might still be able to help him land on his feet.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:32 pm
===might still be able to help him land on his feet. ===
I’m not sure which organizations are rushing to bring someone with that kind of record on board.
Comment by Candy Dogood Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:56 pm
Well, if there are any, Candy, Joe would know them. Lol.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:58 pm
The most surprising part of the trial to me was that Pat O’Connor’s testimony didn’t kick up more dust. He got a 5k a month consulting job from video poker “king” Rick Heidner shortly after he left City Hall, where he had introduced an ordinance to outlaw sweepstakes games (something the the video poker people wanted,) and admitted on the stand that he did virtually no work for the 5k. None of the ComEd Four “consultants” got charged, but the whole premise of that case was that paying a consultant to do “little or no work” is the equivalent of a bribe. Wild, wacky stuff.
Comment by TNR Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 2:43 pm
===is the equivalent of a bribe===
It wasn’t treated as a bribe to the recipients, it was a bribe to their sponsor, Mike Madigan.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 2:50 pm
The report that he was seen laughing with his lawyers after the verdict made me think of the scene where Nicky was explaining to the banker what he thinks about jail.
Comment by Red Ranger Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 2:55 pm
== It wasn’t treated as a bribe to the recipients, it was a bribe to their sponsor, Mike Madigan. ==
I get that. I just find it interesting that one of the government’s witnesses casually throws that out there and seemingly no one bats an eye.
Comment by TNR Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 3:00 pm