Illinois State Senator Tom Cullerton has been indicted over a no show union job that paid him nearly $200,000 a year plus bonuses.
Cullerton, who is the brother of Democratic State President John Cullerton started the no show job in 2013 and was paid $188,320 per year salary and $64,068 in health benefits with the title of union organizer in a scheme cooked up with former Teamsters boss John T. Coli.
He has been charged with 39 counts of embezzlement of the union and a single count of lying about his health benefits. Coli has been convicted of trying to shake down a film company for $325,000.
Illinois State Senator Tom Cullerton, a powerful Chicago Democrat, is facing federal embezzlement charges for taking over $200,000 a year from an Illinois union for a no-show job.
In 2013, Cullerton began receiving a $188,320 per year salary and $64,068 in health benefits supposedly for serving as a Teamsters union organizer, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The 49-year-old Cullerton, who is the brother of Democrat Senate President John Cullerton, also received cash bonuses every year since 2013, despite doing little to no work for the union.
Now, Cullerton faces a federal indictment for conspiracy to embezzle from a labor union and an employee benefits plan. He also faces an additional 39 counts of embezzlement from a labor union as well as a single count of making false statements about the health care benefits.
Federal prosecutors allege that Cullerton and former Teamsters boss John T. Coli conspired to set the lawmaker up with the fake union job and when he rarely showed up to do any work, Coli ignored Cullerton’s actions.