![]() More: Following 'Com-Ed' trial, lobbying and ethics reform the talk of the CapitolĪrroyo answered Link’s question in the Wendy’s parking lot with an offer of “a monthly check, a monthly stipend” for Link or someone else of his choosing. Though Link had assured his fellow Democrat that their conversation was “you and I talking,” the 24-year veteran of Springfield had been wearing an FBI wire as part of a deal he’d cut a couple years earlier after being caught evading his taxes. It was there that Link asked Arroyo to step outside, and then asked the critical question. Ten months into Arroyo’s arrangement with Weiss, the two met Link for a meeting in a Highland Park Wendy’s. If you pay a public official money in exchange for an official act, it is a bribe.” “He can call himself his consultant, his lobbyist, his dentist, his therapist – it doesn’t matter. Attorney Sean Franzblau told the jury during his closing arguments Wednesday. “He can call it whatever he wants,” Assistant U.S. While the defense said it was a legitimate business arrangement, the government called it a bribe – and the jury agreed. Part of that campaign included bringing on Arroyo to “consult” with him for $2,500 per month. ![]() In September 2018, Weiss founded a sweepstakes machine company called Collage LLC and promptly set to work on changing state laws to fully legalize the devices, which operate in a legal gray area in Illinois. ![]() The jury deliberated for about four hours after hearing the last bit of closing arguments in the morning, following roughly four days of testimony from 13 witnesses – including Link.īefore dismissing the parties, Seeger scheduled Weiss’ sentencing for Oct. Wearing a stony expression and a black suit, Weiss took occasional sips of water from a red plastic cup while Judge Steven Seeger read the guilty verdicts on Thursday afternoon. Neither attended any of the seven-day trial. Toni Berrios, D-Chicago, making him the son-in-law of longtime former Cook County Democratic Party boss Joe Berrios. More: Legislative watchdog Michael McCuskey sees job as educational opportunity The answer to that question became central to the federal government’s case against politically connected businessman James Weiss, which ended Thursday with a jury convicting Weiss on seven counts, including bribery and lying to the FBI.įederal sentencing guidelines dictate a maximum of 20 years in prison for the most serious of the charges, though those convicted of public corruption have faced wildly different sentences. Luis Arroyo, who had been pitching him – once again – on sponsoring legislation to regulate so-called sweepstakes machines, a legally murky form of gambling. “What’s in it for me, though?” Link asked then-state Rep. Terry Link asked a question to the same effect as the fast-food giant’s former slogan. “This is an industry-changer, and the Common Sense Media podcast ratings and reviews will translate to thousands more kids and families discovering shows for the first time.CHICAGO – It wasn’t quite “where’s the beef?” but when he stepped outside a suburban Wendy’s with a fellow lawmaker on a hot August morning in 2019, then-state Sen. “Discovering good podcasts has long relied on recommendations from friends or hit-or-miss suggestions from podcatcher algorithms,” Matthew Winner, the head of audio at A Kids Company About, said. While the podcast review library will begin with around 80 reviews of audio programming geared toward kids, such as Wow in the World, The Big Fib, and A Kids Book About: The Podcast, Common Sense will eventually expand its reviews and ratings to podcasts with broader audiences.Įxecutives at children’s podcast companies also note that Common Sense’s ratings can help with discoverability. Given that there isn’t a similar parental guideline system for podcasts as there is for children’s TV and movies, Common Sense is notably filling a gap for parents and caretakers seeking out listening guides and content warnings for audio shows.
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