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...

The FBI is investigating whether hundreds of thousands of dollars were siphoned from a Teamsters benefit plan that provides dental care to Chicago-area undertakers and valets, according to sources. The criminal investigation is the first indication that law enforcement authorities are acting upon an internal Teamsters union report alleging that money may have been diverted from Local 727's dental plan from 1993 to early 2000. Using the Teamsters report as a blueprint, agents with the FBI's organized crime unit have conducted several interviews, including talks with at least two dentists. Also guided by the report, a grand jury in September...