SE Illinois News

A federal judge has sentenced corrupt businessman James T. Weiss to 5 ½ years in prison for his involvement in a bribery scheme targeting two Illinois Democratic lawmakers. Weiss, who was found guilty during a federal trial in June, was also charged with lying to the FBI.

U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger did not hold back when handing down the sentencing at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago. He called corruption "an embarrassment to the great city of Chicago" and stated, "Mr. Weiss, you added another star to Chicago's walk of shame on the sidewalk of corruption."

Weiss had paid $32,500 in bribes to former state representative Luis Arroyo and $5,000 to former state senator Terry Link in an attempt to change state law for the benefit of his electronic sweepstakes business. He even had plans to pay Link an additional $25,000. The jury found Weiss guilty of honest services wire and mail fraud, bribery, and lying to the FBI.

Arroyo, who has already pleaded guilty to bribery charges in 2021, is currently serving time in prison. Link, on the other hand, cooperated with the FBI investigation and is awaiting sentencing for his own tax crimes. Both Arroyo and Link are Democrats. Weiss is married to former Democratic state representative Toni Berrios.

During the sentencing, Judge Seeger emphasized Weiss's responsibility in the bribery scheme, stating, "Looks to me like it was your idea." This case comes on the heels of the 'ComEd Four' verdict, which involved former Democratic House Speaker Mike Madigan. Four ComEd employees were found guilty on a total of 30 corruption charges in that high-profile case.

While Illinois House Republicans have consistently pushed for comprehensive corruption and ethics reform, the state continues to lag behind in enacting meaningful changes. Despite numerous indictments and imprisonments of Illinois legislators on corruption charges since 2019, the need for reform remains urgent. Key reforms that have been proposed include the elimination of conflicts of interest and granting subpoena powers to the Legislative Inspector General.

In light of recent events, it is clear that ethics reform should be an open and transparent bipartisan issue. House Republicans strongly believe that legislators should not be lobbyists and that public service should take precedence over self-interest. The time for pay-to-play politics must come to an end.

For more information on the ongoing efforts for ethics reform, please visit the link below.

Source: The Caucus Blog - "Weiss Sentenced to 5 ½ Years For Bribery Scheme"

For additional details, please follow this link: https://repwindhorst.com/2023/10/20/the-caucus-blog-ethics-reform-needed-now/