Free Republic

A federal grand jury indicted Illinois State Sen. Thomas Cullerton this morning on embezzlement charges related to a job with Teamsters Local Union 734. Prosecutors allege he received $275,000 in salary, bonuses, health and pension benefits for “little or no work” as a union organizer. The Villa Park senator, 49, worked for the union before assuming office in November 2012. In a statement, Cullerton’s attorney denied any wrongdoing and suggested Cullerton was the victim of Teamsters boss John Coli. Coli is cooperating with federal investigators as part of a plea deal in an extortion case related to Cinespace Studios on...

llinois Democrat State Senator Tom Cullerton on Friday was indicted on federal embezzlement charges for allegedly defrauding a union. The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced the charges on Friday. Cullerton, a Democrat, was accused of taking approximately $275,000 in salary and benefits from the Teamsters Union, but doing no work for the union. The state senator took the union job before he was elected in 2012 and continued to collect money for three years without doing any work, according to the 39-count indictment.