Illinois State Senator Thomas Cullerton resigns, pleads guilty to embezzlement

Illinois state Senator Thomas Cullerton resigned on Wednesday just prior to pleading guilty in a federal embezzlement case.

According to Central Illinois Proud News, Cullerton had served nearly 10 years on the state senate. His lawyers informed U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman that a trial would not be necessary, and requested a plea hearing. The judge set the plea hearing to March 8th, 2022. Cullerton has been charged with accepting $275,000 in salary and benefits from the Teamsters union for a no-show job.

Cullerton was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2019 on 39 counts of embezzlement from a labor union, one count of conspiracy to embezzle from a labor union and employee benefit plans, and one count of making false statements in a health care matter.

Cullerton was a truck driver and Teamsters member. He got a job as an organizer for Teamsters Joint Council 25 after a former employer shut down. Cullerton was elected to the state senate in 2012.

From 2013 to 2016, it is estimated that Cullerton was paid $188,320 in salary, bonuses and allowances from the Teamsters. Additionally, he was paid $64,068 in health and pension contributions and $21,678 in reimbursed medical bills. During this time he did virtually no work for the labor union.