In Chicago's corridors of power, where public service and personal gain often intertwine, Paul La Schiazza, former head of AT&T Illinois, faces a new trial on June 3 after a jury failed to reach a verdict in a bribery case. Central to the trial is a $22,500 payment to former state representative Edward “Eddie” Acevedo, allegedly aimed at gaining favor with former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, who is also entangled in legal troubles, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
La Schiazza's trial was previously marred with uncertainty, with U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman first wishing to entertain arguments for acquittal. With that avenue exhausted and the acquittal denied, the stage is set for another legal showdown. "Some time" between the trials of Madigan and La Schiazza will, according to Gettleman, benefit all parties involved. The drama parallels, five floors below in the very same courthouse, the ongoing trial of Madigan himself. As reported by ABC7 Chicago, Madigan's long shadow still falls over Illinois politics as he defends himself against an entanglement of racketeering and bribery charges.
The government claims that La Schiazza tried to end AT&T's obligation to provide landline service across Illinois through legislation. It was a deal La Schiazza wanted moved "quickly" on, after receiving a call that spurred action on Acevedo's contract, as emails from 2017 illustrate. Prosecutors have suggested that Acevedo was a strategic asset due to the demographic makeup of Madigan's district, notwithstanding Acevedo's subsequent six-month prison term for tax evasion and a reputation that left AT&T unimpressed, as per the Chicago Sun-Times.
Despite Madigan's trial capturing more attention with its web of alleged political intrigue, La Schiazza's case represents another cog in the same machinery. Acevedo, absent from La Schiazza's initial trial, testified during Madigan's proceedings, linking the two cases. La Schiazza's legal team now braces for a familiar battle, with two weeks set aside to revisit a narrative well-known to Illinoisans—a continuation of the seemingly endless saga of corruption allegations in the state.
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