State Sen. Tom Cullerton Indicted On 41 Counts: DOJ

CHICAGO, IL — Illinois State Senator Tom Cullerton has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 41 counts that include embezzling from a local labor union. Cullerton, 49, of Villa Park, is accused of "fraudulently receiving salary and benefits from a Teamsters union for which he did little or no work," according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The indictment alleges that Cullerton, who was formerly a member of Teamsters Local Union 734, was hired to be a union organizer by the president of Teamsters Joint Council 25 in March 2013, after he was elected to the state senate. During his time as an organizer, which lasted until 2016, Cullerton is accused of having "fraudulently obtained from Joint Council 25 and its members approximately $188,320 in salary, bonuses, and cellphone and vehicle allowances, as well as approximately $64,068 in health and pension contributions."

These funds, which Cullerton is accused of using to pay for "personal expenses, such as his mortgage, utilities and groceries," were collected in exchange for Cullerton having done "little to no work as an organizer," the DOJ's news release outlines.

Cullerton is further accused of collecting reimbursed medical claims from the union's Health and Welfare Fund under the pretense that he worked as a "route salesman."

Cullerton, a Democrat who was elected to represent the 23rd District in 2013, represents parts of Addison, Bloomingdale, Bartlett, Carol Stream, Glendale Heights, Hanover Park, Itasca, Roselle, Villa Park, and West Chicago.