USA v. Paul La Schiazza
Paul La Schiazza once served as the president of AT&T Illinois. In 2022, he was accused of conspiring to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to benefit the utility. He has pleaded not guilty.
U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman set a June 2025 trial date for Paul La Schiazza, a week after shooting down a long-shot bid for acquittal.
Jurors in the trial of former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza heard from more than a dozen witnesses over four days. Key players in the alleged scheme included Michael McClain, Madigan’s longtime friend who is now on trial with him in a related case, and former state Rep. Edward “Eddie” Acevedo.
The deal was modeled after a similar one issued in 2020 to electrical company ComEd. ComEd was spared prosecution after cooperating with the feds and paying a $200 million fine.
In September, a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict in the case against former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza.
U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman on Tuesday said he first wants to take a “serious look” at a motion for acquittal from ex-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza.
Federal prosecutors heading into the biggest Chicago corruption trial since the days of Rod Blagojevich faced another setback Thursday.
The jury of eight women and four men began deliberating at about 2:40 p.m. Tuesday in the case of Paul La Schiazza, the former head of AT&T Illinois. They will resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Jurors heard four days of testimony in the trial of Paul La Schiazza before prosecutors and defense attorneys rested their case Monday afternoon.
Prosecutors are nearing the end of their case against AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza. Attorneys say it could be in the hands of the jury by the end of next week.
Former longtime AT&T Illinois lobbyist Stephen Selcke took the stand Thursday as the star witness in the trial of ex-utility President Paul La Schiazza.
Defense attorneys for ex-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza say jurors will see no proof of an explicit exchange or that La Schiazza knew “he was doing something wrong.”
Paul La Schiazza’s trial is the last set to play out before Michael Madigan faces his own racketeering trial Oct. 8. The once-powerful Southwest Side Democrat is also charged in the alleged scheme involving La Schiazza and AT&T Illinois.
WBEZ and the Sun-Times have learned the identities of 3 former top phone-company lobbyists with ties to a Springfield corruption scandal as ex-AT&T President Paul La Schiazza pleaded not guilty to five federal charges Friday.
The hearing came one week after federal prosecutors expanded their case against Michael Madigan and his longtime confidant, Michael McClain, to include an alleged illegal attempt by AT&T Illinois to sway Madigan.
Two major utilities serving Illinois residents have now been charged as a result of the yearslong investigation centered on Madigan.