Illinois State Senator Tom Cullerton indicted on federal embezzlement charges
CHICAGO (WLS) – Illinois State Senator Tom Cullerton has been indicted on federal embezzlement charges for allegedly defrauding the Teamsters Union, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced Friday.
Cullerton, D-Villa Park, is accused of receiving a salary and benefits from the Teamsters Union despite doing little to no work, according to the grand jury indictment handed up Friday. Cullerton, a veteran, was one of the most vocal lawmakers during the Quincy Veterans' home legionnaire's crisis.
The 49-year-old Cullerton is charged with one count of conspiracy to embezzle from a labor union and employee benefit plan, 39 counts of embezzlement from a labor union and one count of making a false statement in a health care matter.
Prosecutors said Cullerton was a member of the Teamsters Union Local 734 prior to his election in 2012 and was no longer eligible to participate in the union's health and pension funds. Cullerton was hired to serve as a union organizer by the Teamsters Joint Council in March of 2013 for a full-time salaried position which included benefits from Local 734's health and pension funds.
Cullerton received $188,320 in salary, bonuses and cellphone and vehicle allowances from the position until February 2016, prosecutors said. He also allegedly received $64,068 in health and pension contributions.
Despite receiving the salary and benefits, the indictment alleges Cullerton did little to no work over three years and ignored requests by supervisors to perform his duties.
Cullerton is also accused of fraudulently obtaining $21,678 in reimbursed medical claims from the Local 734's Health and Welfare Fund and made it appear that he was a "route salesman" for the union in paperwork submitted to medical providers, the indictment said.
Cullerton's attorney released a statement saying, "As an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Army and highly respected public servant, Tom Cullerton is a person who is dedicated to his family, constituents, and all Illinoisans. The action by the U.S. Department of Justice has nothing to do with Mr. Cullerton's work in the Illinois State Senate but is the result of false claims by disgraced Teamsters boss John Coli in an apparent attempt to avoid penalties for his wrongdoing. These allegations are simply not true, and we will be defending the charges in court."
Coli pleaded guilty in federal court and agreed to cooperate on Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. A date for an arraignment in federal court has not yet been scheduled.
https://abc7chicago.com/politics/ill-state-senator-tom-cullerton-indicted-on-federal-embezzlement-charges/
Full indictment here:
http://dig.abclocal.go.com/wls/documents/2019/080219-wls-tom-cullerton-indictment.pdf