Former AT&T Illinois president faces corruption charges

FORMER ILLINOIS House Speaker Michael Madigan speaks during a committee hearing in Chicago in February 2021. AT&T Illinois on Oct. 14 agreed to pay $23 million to resolve a federal criminal investigation into alleged misconduct involving the company’s efforts to illegally influence Madigan. Both Madigan and Paul La Schiazza, a Newport property owner and former AT&T Illinois president, still face charges in the case. (ASHLEE REZIN GARCIA/CHICAGO SUN-TIMES VIA AP)

NEWPORT – A city property owner who served as president of AT&T Illinois has been charged in federal court with participating in a conspiracy to unlawfully influence the former Illinois House speaker involving the company’s legislative efforts in that state.

Paul La Schiazza, 65, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of corruptly giving something of value to reward a public official and three counts of using a facility in interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. He was president of AT&T Illinois from 2006 to 2018.

La Schiazza owns a single-family home in Newport’s historic Point neighborhood that he purchased for $1.03 million in 2020, according to city property records. La Schiazza and his wife are members of the Point Association, the nonprofit that works to preserve local architectural heritage, according to the organization’s most recent newsletter.

Prosecutors say La Schiazza conspired in 2017 with former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, Madigan’s close friend, Michael McClain, and others, to corruptly arrange for $22,500 to be paid to a Madigan ally. AT&T Illinois caused the payments to be made through an intermediary – a lobbying firm – to hide the effort to influence and reward Madigan for helping the company with its legislative agenda, according to an indictment unsealed on Oct. 14.

- Advertisement -

La Schiazza’s attorney, Megan Rose Braden, of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in Chicago, did not immediately return a call seeking comment on Tuesday.

Madigan, who was charged in March for his alleged role in a separate nearly $3 million racketeering bribery scheme, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for his role in the AT&T scheme. Madigan’s attorney, Sheldon Zenner, declined to comment when reached by phone by The Associated Press.

AT&T Illinois has agreed to pay a $23 million fine to resolve a federal probe into its illegal efforts.

Prosecutors said the company agreed to cooperate with any related investigations.

(PBN staff writer Christopher Allen contributed to this report. You can contact him at Allen@PBN.com.)

No posts to display