Former Democrat State Senator who left politics to sell insurance cashed in bogus policies for non-existent clients then ‘dodged $100k in taxes’
- Annazette Collins, 61, filed false policies for fictitious clients in her post-political insurance job, federal prosecutors allege
- The revelations came on the fourth day of the former Democratic senator’s trial for allegedly evading nearly $100,000 in federal taxes.
Former Democratic Sen. Annazette Collins filed false policies for fictitious clients in her post-political insurance job, federal prosecutors alleged Friday.
Collins was caught submitting false insurance policies linked to bank accounts controlled by Collins or her daughter, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Parthum told a judge Friday.
The findings came to light during the ongoing trial against Collins for allegedly evading nearly $100,000 in taxes.
During the case, prosecutors revealed that Collins, who represented Chicago’s West Side, had been fired from her job at American Income Life Insurance, but they said they would not reveal the reason unless she decided to take the stand.
U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso ruled that further details could be revealed if Collins took the stand on Friday.
Annazette Collins, 61, filed false policies for fictitious clients in her post-political insurance job, federal prosecutors allege
The revelations came on the fourth day of the former Democratic senator’s trial for allegedly evading nearly $100,000 in federal taxes.
After the verdict, Collins decided not to act in her own defense.
No criminal charges have yet been filed against the former lawmaker in connection with the insurance policy allegations.
The jury at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse heard how Collins made nearly $100,000 from the contract company by selling life insurance policies, income she allegedly never reported on her tax returns.
The 61-year-old is charged with three counts of filing a false income tax return, two counts of failing to file a corporate tax return and one count of willful failure to file an individual income tax return.
Collins has been accused of vastly understating her lobbying income from tax returns between 2014 and 2018, under her lucrative lobbying and consulting firm Kourtnie Nicole Corp., which she founded after leaving the Legislature in 2013.
Collins avoided paying nearly $100,000 in federal taxes over the five-year period, the indictment alleges.
Collins “was a former Senator and Representative of the State of Illinois who was trusted for many years to make the laws of the State of Illinois,” Parthum said in her opening statement Tuesday.
Collins has been of interest to prosecutors for years and her name came up during two major corruption trials last year.
In one case, four political insiders were convicted in a nearly decade-long conspiracy to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in favor of ComEd.
Jurors in that trial saw a handwritten list of favorite lobbyists named “Annazette.”
It appeared on Talbott Hotel stationery and was reportedly dubbed the “magic list” by Madigan confidante Michael McClain.
Collins’ lobbying firm worked for ComEd and AT&T Illinois, both of which are involved in the investigation that also led to charges against Madigan and McClain.
The tax charges against Collins stem from the same investigation by officials.