As the corruption trial of businessman James T. Weiss approached its conclusion on Tuesday, the focus shifted from the state capitol to Chicago politics. Weiss is facing accusations of bribing two state lawmakers in order to influence legislation in Springfield. However, it was the events unfolding at City Hall that took center stage during this trial.

Testimony from key witnesses, such as former Alderman Patrick O’Connor (40th) and Sam Toia, President of the Illinois Restaurant Association, shed light on Weiss’s defense. Weiss claimed that his payments to then-state Representative Luis Arroyo were not bribes but rather intended to secure Arroyo’s support in blocking an ordinance proposed by O’Connor.

During the trial, jurors learned that O’Connor, after leaving office in May 2019, received a monthly payment of $5,000 for four months from Rick Heidner, a prominent figure in the gambling industry. O’Connor admitted to providing consulting services for Heidner, which primarily involved conducting research tasks without any significant impact.

These revelations added a new layer of complexity to the trial, intertwining the realms of politics, corruption, and personal associations. The proceedings served as a vivid illustration of the intricate dynamics within Chicago’s political landscape and the intersecting interests of various individuals involved in both business and public service.

During the trial, defense attorney Ilia Usharovich posed a pointed question to former Alderman Patrick O’Connor: “Were you receiving $5,000 a month from Heidner for doing nothing except being available?” O’Connor responded affirmatively, acknowledging the nature of his arrangement with Rick Heidner.

O’Connor had initially anticipated a longer-term agreement with Heidner but plans unexpectedly changed when Heidner contacted him to inform him of the shift. This communication likely coincided with Heidner’s name emerging in documents associated with a federal search of the state capitol. However, federal authorities later clarified in a letter that Heidner was not the focus of their investigation.

Further delving into the proceedings, Usharovich inquired whether O’Connor believed that former state Representative Luis Arroyo had sent Alderman Gilbert Villegas (36th) to undermine the ordinance proposed by O’Connor. This particular ordinance aimed to ban unregulated gambling devices called sweepstakes machines within the city. O’Connor expressed his belief that the competing ordinance, which would have effectively legalized such machines, was not solely the brainchild of Alderman Villegas.

As the day’s testimony concluded, U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger informed the jurors that the prosecution would likely conclude their case on Wednesday morning.

Despite the defense team’s initial inclination not to call any witnesses, their plans became uncertain on Tuesday, leaving the possibility of James Weiss taking the stand in question. It is worth noting that Weiss is the son-in-law of former Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios.

The accusations against Weiss revolve around alleged bribes amounting to $32,500 paid to then-state Representative Luis Arroyo, a Democrat, to advance legislation pertaining to sweepstakes machines in the General Assembly. When the legislation failed to pass, Weiss and Arroyo purportedly attempted to bribe then-state Senator Terry Link, another Democrat.

Weiss’s defense lawyers vehemently deny his involvement in the bribery scheme targeting Link and assert that the payments made to Arroyo were legitimate consulting fees intended to impede Alderman Patrick O’Connor’s proposed ordinance.

Arroyo has already admitted to accepting bribes from Weiss and is presently serving a nearly five-year prison sentence.

During the trial’s opening statements, prosecutors informed the jurors that any attempts to obstruct ordinances at City Hall had concluded by the fall of 2018. However, on Tuesday, the jurors were presented with 11 checks issued by Weiss’s business to Arroyo’s account, spanning from November 1, 2018, to October 1, 2019.

The federal authorities initially charged Arroyo and confronted Weiss about the scheme in late October 2019.

Testifying on Tuesday, Sam Toia, President of the Illinois Restaurant Association, stated that his organization promoted electronic devices, including sweepstakes machines, in restaurants. He revealed that he worked as a consultant for Weiss in the city during the time O’Connor proposed his ordinance. Toia admitted to being somewhat reluctant while taking the witness stand.

Toia further testified that his work for Weiss continued until the fall of 2019. However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Franzblau challenged his statement, citing previous statements made to the federal authorities where Toia claimed his work had concluded in late 2018 or early 2019.

Franzblau emphasized that Toia was under oath, to which Toia maintained his stance. Nonetheless, he informed the jurors that Weiss had never informed him about Arroyo’s involvement as a lobbyist.

Subsequently, O’Connor testified about the sweepstakes ordinance he proposed in July 2018. He mentioned that it was discussed during a committee meeting in October 2018 but was not put to a vote due to the anticipation of a competing ordinance.

O’Connor revealed that the competing proposal was filed in November 2018. However, he stated that neither proposal gained traction, and as far as he knew, the related lobbying efforts ceased by the end of 2018.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Ilia Usharovich accused O’Connor of attempting to fabricate a case that would be taken to a higher court to establish the legal status of sweepstakes machines, which have been described as existing in a legal “gray area.”

O’Connor countered Usharovich’s accusation, asserting that he did not have to fabricate anything since people were already using sweepstakes machines for gambling purposes. He testified that he had held meetings to explore the possibility of successful arrests that could lead to a case appealing to the appellate court.

Despite initial expectations that Weiss’ defense team would not call any witnesses, their plans became uncertain on Tuesday.

The possibility of Weiss testifying himself remained an open question. It is worth noting that Weiss is the son-in-law of former Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios.

Weiss stands accused of providing $32,500 in bribes to Democrat Luis Arroyo to promote legislation concerning sweepstakes machines in the General Assembly. Allegedly, when the legislation failed to pass, both Weiss and Arroyo attempted to bribe another Democrat, then-state Senator Terry Link.

Weiss’s lawyers firmly deny his involvement in the bribery scheme targeting Link. They assert that the payments made to Arroyo were legitimate consulting fees intended to assist in blocking Alderman Patrick O’Connor’s proposed ordinance.

Arroyo has already admitted to accepting bribes from Weiss and is presently serving a nearly five-year prison sentence.

During the trial’s opening statements, prosecutors informed the jurors that any attempts to obstruct ordinances at City Hall had concluded by the fall of 2018. However, on Tuesday, the jurors were presented with 11 checks issued by Weiss’s business to Arroyo between November 1, 2018, and October 1, 2019.

The federal authorities initially charged Arroyo and confronted Weiss about the scheme in late October 2019.

Testifying on Tuesday, Sam Toia, President of the Illinois Restaurant Association, revealed that his organization promoted electronic devices, including sweepstakes machines, in restaurants. He stated that he worked as a consultant for Weiss in the city around the time O’Connor proposed his ordinance. Toia acknowledged to Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Franzblau that he was not particularly pleased to be on the witness stand.

Toia continued to testify that his work for Weiss did not conclude until the fall of 2019. This prompted a challenge from Franzblau, who pointed out that Toia had previously informed the federal authorities that his work ended in late 2018 or early 2019.

Franzblau reminded Toia that he was under oath, to which Toia stood by his story. However, Toia also informed the jurors that Weiss had never informed him about Arroyo’s role as a lobbyist.

O’Connor subsequently took the stand and provided an explanation of the sweepstakes ordinance he proposed in July 2018. He stated that it was discussed at a committee meeting in October 2018, but no vote was taken due to the anticipation of a competing ordinance.

According to O’Connor, the competing proposal was filed in November 2018. However, he mentioned that neither proposal gained traction, and to the best of his knowledge, the related lobbying efforts concluded in late 2018.

During the cross-examination, defense attorney Ilia Usharovich accused O’Connor of attempting to manufacture a case that would be taken to a higher court to clarify the legal status of sweepstakes machines, which are considered to exist in a legal “gray area.”

O’Connor countered Usharovich’s accusation, stating that he did not need to create anything since people were already using sweepstakes machines for gambling purposes. He testified that he held meetings to assess the potential for successful arrests to bring about a case that could be appealed to the appellate court.

Source: Capitol News Illinois and Chicago Tribune