Ex-AT&T Illinois Head Agrees to Deferral Deal After Mistrial

The former president of AT&T Illinois has agreed to a deferred-prosecution deal, averting a second trial on charges he bribed powerful former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Paul La Schiazza’s first trial ended in September 2024 with a deadlocked jury, and he had been scheduled for a retrial in January.

Instead, he agreed to pay a $200,000 fine and keep his record clean for 12 months. If he complies, prosecutors will move to dismiss the indictment at the end of the deferral period.

“This is a very generous agreement, I have to say,” Judge Robert Gettleman of the US ...