State Sen. Thomas Cullerton’s lawyer is apparently finalizing a deal with federal prosecutors over key evidence in the indicted politician’s embezzlement case.
Cullerton’s attorney last month asked U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman to order the disclosure of crucial details about ex-Teamsters boss John Coli, who pleaded guilty in July in an extortion case and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. A grand jury hit Cullerton with an indictment a few days after Coli’s plea.
But at a hearing set Thursday to deal with the disagreement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu told Gettleman the two sides were nearing a deal and asked for more time to complete it. Cullerton attorney Daniel Collins said, “It’s all correct judge.”
Gettleman told the two sides to come back March 24.
When he asked for the Coli evidence last month, Collins wrote that “information about Coli’s credibility is central to the validity of the government’s case against Cullerton and is vital for Cullerton’s defense.”
Cullerton landed a job as an organizer for Teamsters Joint Council 25 after his former employer, Hostess Brands, shut down in 2012, Collins wrote. Coli told prosecutors he arranged for Cullerton to get the organizer job that year “but did not believe the employment was legitimate,” according to the defense attorney.
Collins also wrote media and other public sources indicate “Coli has been involved in numerous instances of improper behavior, including lying to federal officials.” He said he had asked prosecutors for FBI reports or other paperwork documenting interviews with Coli, as well as “correspondence with counsel for Mr. Coli” to learn of the benefits Coli received from his cooperation deal.
But he said prosecutors referred to it as a “blunderbuss request” and said they’d rather wait until closer to trial.
“Unfortunately, counsel for Cullerton has learned more about Coli by reading the newspaper than reading the discovery provided to date by the government,” Collins wrote.
Cullerton has been accused of collecting $188,320 in salary, bonuses and cellphone and vehicle allowances from the Teamsters, as well as $64,068 in health and pension contributions, while doing little or no work for the labor union. He also allegedly collected $21,678 in reimbursed medical claims. His trial is set for July.
The state senator was one of three elected officials hit with federal criminal charges in 2019, along with Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th) and now-former state Rep. Luis Arroyo. Cullerton is on track to be the first of the group to face trial. However, prosecutors recently filed a new charging document against Arroyo suggesting he may be preparing to plead guilty.
