Good morning, Chicago.
When AT&T Illinois boss Paul La Schiazza received an email from the son of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan asking for a charitable contribution in 2017, he forwarded it immediately to a member of his government relations team with a note that reads almost like a weary sigh.
“Here we go … this will be endless,” La Schiazza wrote about the request from Andrew Madigan. The assistant, Bob Barry, responded, “I suspect the ‘thank you’ opportunities will be plentiful.”
“Yep … we are on the friends and family plan now,” La Schiazza replied.
Those words were displayed for jurors at La Schiazza’s bribery trial Monday, where prosecutors allege they show his state of mind in the weeks after Madigan helped shepherd AT&T’s bill ending mandated landline service — known by the acronym COLR — through the General Assembly.
Shortly after presenting the emails, prosecutors rested their case after calling a total of 14 witnesses over four days of testimony. After a short sidebar with the judge, the defense also rested its case without putting on evidence. La Schiazza declined to testify in his own defense after being informed about his rights in a sidebar.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Jason Meisner and Ray Long.
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