Cullerton Gets Early 2022 Trial Date
Sen. Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park), who faces
A sitting Democratic State Senator facing federal embezzlement charges has a trial date set for early 2022. Sen. Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park), had been set for trial last July on the embezzlement charges dating back to 2019. But his trial was scuttled by the coronavirus pandemic along with many others.
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The case against Cullerton revolves around his role as an organizer for Teamsters Joint Council 25. He landed that job after his former employer, Hostess Brands, shut down in 2012. Former Teamsters boss John Coli told prosecutors he arranged for Cullerton to get that job “but did not believe the employment was legitimate,” Cullerton’s defense attorney has said.
Cullerton has been accused of collecting $188,320 in salary, bonuses and cellphone and vehicle allowances from the Teamsters, as well as $64,068 in health and pension contributions, while doing little or no work for the labor union. He also allegedly collected $21,678 in reimbursed medical claims.
Coli pleaded guilty in 2019 in an extortion case revolving around $325,000 in cash payments he received from Cinespace Chicago Film Studios between 2014 and 2017. He agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors, and Cullerton was charged days later.
Cullerton has denied wrongdoing.