Illinois State Representative Charged with Offering Bribe to Fellow Lawmaker in Return for Support of Legislation

CHICAGO — Illinois State Rep. LUIS ARROYO [D-Chicago] has been charged in federal court with offering a bribe to a fellow state lawmaker in an effort to influence and reward the lawmaker for supporting legislation that would benefit Arroyo’s private lobbying client.

Arroyo, 65, of Chicago, is charged with one count of federal program bribery, according to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. 

Arroyo made an initial court appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez and was ordered released on a personal recognizance bond. 

The next court date was not immediately set.

The complaint was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; and Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. 

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Stetler and James Durkin.

Arroyo has represented the 3rd District in the Illinois House of Representatives since 2006. 

He has also managed Spartacus 3 LLC, a private lobbying firm in Chicago.

According to the complaint, on Aug. 2, 2019, Arroyo offered to pay $2,500 per month to an Illinois state senator [now a coopoerating witness] in return for the senator’s support of sweepstakes-related legislation [“a trailer bill” about Veterans and frternal organizations for electronic product promotion sweepstakes kiosks”] that would benefit one of Arroyo’s lobbying clients. 

[Arroyo asked the Senator in introduce the trailer bill during the Senate veto session.]

On Aug. 22, 2019, Arroyo met with the senator at a restaurant in Skokie and provided him a check for $2,500 as an initial payment, with the expectation that additional payments would be made for the next six to 12 months, the complaint states. 

[The Senator asked to speak with Arroyo outside the restaurant where he asked, with FBI watching and listening, “I’m looking for something you know. I’m in the twilight, you know.”]

The check was made payable to a nominee of the senator [selected by the FBI] for the purpose of concealing the illicit payment, the complaint states.

[When the Senator asked tht checks be mailed to his home, Arroyo replied, “No, no. We’re not going to mail anything.”]

[During the conversatiion, the Senator indicated he was gong along as what some might describe as a personal favor, as legislators sometimes put it. “I’m not to hapy about this, but I’m doing it for ya.”]

Federal program bribery is punishable by up to ten years in prison.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. 

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. 

The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. 

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The criminal complaint adds that Arroyo has been State Representative since 2006 and now serves as one of Mike Madigan’s Assistant Majority Leaders.

The Feds discovered that he had submitted false income tax returns, which, as a cooperating witness, he should have revealed, along with all other illegal activity, and the Senator is now cooperating without a promise of leniency, only the hope for such.

Here is his official biography:

Biography: Born June 13, 1954 in Corozal, Puerto Rico; member of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers; recipient of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois’ 2011 President’s Legislative Man of the Year Award and the Hispanic Illinois State Law Enforcement Association’s President’s Award; married to Maribel, has three adult children (Luis Jr., Denise and Alberto), and four grandchildren.