Former lawmaker sentenced in bribery scheme
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[May 27, 2022] By
PETER HANCOCK
Capitol News Illinois
phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – Former state Rep. Luis Arroyo
was sentenced this week to nearly five years in prison for his role in a
bribery scheme involving a state senator and one of Arroyo’s private
lobbying clients who sought favorable legislation for the sweepstakes
gambling industry.
Arroyo, 67, is a Chicago Democrat who represented the 3rd District in
the House from 2006 to 2019. He was arrested on bribery charges in
October 2019 and resigned his seat on Nov. 1 that year, just moments
before a special investigative committee was to meet to consider whether
he should be ousted from office.
Even after resigning, though, Arroyo maintained that he was innocent. He
finally pleaded guilty to the charges in November 2021.
According to the indictment, in 2018 and 2019 Arroyo accepted thousands
of dollars in bribes from a gaming company, Collage LLC, in exchange for
promoting legislation authorizing electronic sweepstakes machines, which
look and operate much like slot machines.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/27/images/ads/current/graue_sda_042021.png)
In addition, he was accused of bribing a sitting
state senator at the time, now known to be former Sen. Terry Link, a
Lake County Democrat, for supporting that legislation. Arroyo and
Link, who was wearing a wire, reportedly met at a Skokie restaurant
in August 2019 where Arroyo handed Link a $2,500 check from Collage
with a promise of additional monthly payments for as long as a year
in exchange for Link’s support of the legislation.
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![](../images/052722PIX/news_f5.jpg)
Former state Rep. Luis Arroyo, D-Chicago, is pictured
on the House floor. (Credit: reparroyo.com)
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/27/images/ads/current/culligan_sda_SFARM_2022.png)
During that conversation, according to federal
prosecutors, Arroyo told Link, “This is the jackpot.”
That investigation was part of a wide-ranging probe into public
corruption in the Chicago area conducted by U.S. Attorney John
Lausch’s office and the FBI.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/27/images/ads/current/fricke_sda_PROM_2022.png)
Also as a result of that investigation, Link was later charged and
pleaded guilty to tax evasion. He was not immediately sentenced in
exchange for his agreement to cooperate with the ongoing
investigation. He resigned from the Senate in September 2020.
And former House Speaker Michael Madigan, who had pressured Arroyo
to resign and called the allegations against him “beyond
extraordinary,” was indicted earlier this year on charges related to
a separate bribery scheme involving utility giant Commonwealth
Edison. He resigned in January 2021 after failing to win reelection
to another term as speaker.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/27/images/ads/current/peasley_lda_051513.png) |