Federal Judge to End Madigan-Related Criminal Case Against AT&T Illinois
Dismissal Expected After 2-Year Agreement with Feds
For the first time since 2020, soon neither AT&T Illinois nor ComEd will be facing criminal charges. A federal judge on Wednesday agreed to dismiss a criminal case against AT&T Illinois, involving a criminal charge leveled two years ago against the telecommunications giant as part of a sprawling public corruption investigation into the company’s former president and ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
The Dismissal
The dismissal of AT&T’s criminal case was expected, coming at the end of a 2-year agreement with the feds to defer prosecution. As part of the deal, the company agreed to cooperate with the feds and pay a $23 million fine. AT&T is still obligated to continue cooperating with prosecutors as part of the deal.
A Similar Deal for ComEd
The deal was modeled after a similar one issued in 2020 to electrical company ComEd, which was also implicated in an alleged bribery scheme. ComEd was released from that deal in July 2023 after cooperating with the feds and paying a $200 million fine.
The Agreement
Prosecutors on Wednesday asked U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso to dismiss AT&T Illinois’ deferred prosecution agreement “based on Illinois Bell’s compliance and cooperation, and with the expectation that Illinois Bell will continue to cooperate with the government.”
No Plea of Guilt
Company attorney Erin Nealy Cox noted that AT&T Illinois never pleaded guilty as part of the deal. But the company did implicate itself in crimes in its deferred prosecution agreement filed in October 2022.
The Alleged Scheme
In it, AT&T Illinois admitted to trying to bribe Madigan by paying $22,500 to former state Rep. Edward “Eddie” Acevedo, a Madigan ally and fellow Southwest Side Democrat, while AT&T was trying to pass a significant piece of legislation. The legislation sought to end AT&T Illinois’ costly obligation to provide landline telephone service to all Illinois residents.
Related Trials
The September trial of former-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza, charged with bribery, ended in a hung jury. A judge said he will rule in December on a defense motion to acquit La Schiazza.
Madigan and McClain
Madigan and Michael McClain, Madigan’s longtime friend who was widely seen as Madigan’s emissary in Springfield, were in another courtroom of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse on Wednesday, charged in a case that includes the same alleged scheme.
Conclusion
The dismissal of AT&T Illinois’ criminal case marks the end of a 2-year agreement with the feds, during which the company cooperated with prosecutors and paid a $23 million fine. The company is still obligated to continue cooperating with prosecutors as part of the deal.
FAQs
Q: What is the significance of the dismissal of AT&T Illinois’ criminal case?
A: The dismissal marks the end of a 2-year agreement with the feds, during which the company cooperated with prosecutors and paid a $23 million fine.
Q: What did AT&T Illinois admit to in its deferred prosecution agreement?
A: The company admitted to trying to bribe Madigan by paying $22,500 to former state Rep. Edward “Eddie” Acevedo, a Madigan ally and fellow Southwest Side Democrat.
Q: What is the status of the trial of former-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza?
A: The trial ended in a hung jury, and a judge will rule in December on a defense motion to acquit La Schiazza.
Q: What is the status of the cases against Madigan and McClain?
A: They are still pending, with a trial date to be set.
