Jury sees relentless ComEd job placement requests from Madigan co-defendant
McClain to Madigan’s son: ‘That’s what happens when you’re in this game’
ComEd lobbyist warned FBI mole to ‘keep Madigan happy’ and not mess with no-work contracts
Jury in ex-speaker’s bribery trial sees undercover videos made by prosecutors’ star witness
‘They were being paid as a favor to Mike Madigan’: Feds’ star witness takes stand
Former ComEd exec-turned-FBI mole testifies about no-work contracts for speaker’s allies CHICAGO – As chief lobbyist for electric utility Commonwealth Edison, Fidel Marquez had an expansive role that put him in charge of “approximately 130, 135 people.” But in June 2013, more than a year into that job, Marquez received an email about someone he…
Wiretaps show McClain arranging checks for Madigan loyalist fired after #MeToo allegations
Defense attorneys seek to undermine evidence that speaker knew of arrangement CHICAGO – It had been a tumultuous winter and spring for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan as he was forced to fire or distance himself from several top allies, three of whom were accused of sexual harassment at the height of the #MeToo movement….
One group of Illinoisans can’t vote this November – those serving felony convictions
DANVILLE — People in prison can vote in Vermont, Maine and Washington, D.C. It’s a right that one incarcerated Illinois man would like to have. “The incarcerated community is probably the largest group of people who have the most skin in the game, yet we’re not acknowledged as stakeholders,” Raúl Dorado said. About 29,000 people are…
Madigan co-defendant had unparalleled access to speaker, ex-top aide testifies
Jury hears another wiretap of Mike McClain referring to Madigan as ‘real client’ CHICAGO – Under the stained-glass dome of the Capitol in Springfield, lobbyists often wander the building, popping into a quiet corner to make a phone call or ducking into an empty committee room to send emails. Some veteran lobbyists have longstanding arrangements…
ComEd execs joked Madigan co-defendant was ‘double agent,’ utility’s former top lawyer testifies
Mike McClain’s job recommendations weren’t bribes – or even improper, witness says CHICAGO – For decades, electric utility Commonwealth Edison renewed its contract with top Springfield lobbyist Mike McClain – in part because of his strategic abilities, but also because of his close relationship with longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. But it was…
Madigan co-defendant warned ComEd CEO not to ‘provoke a reaction from our Friend’
In ex-speaker’s trial, former utility exec calls Madigan’s apparent involvement in contract talks ‘unusual CHICAGO – Commonwealth Edison’s top attorney was busy preparing for the General Assembly to take up major legislation the utility had spent months negotiating when ComEd’s top in-house lobbyist stopped by his office in late October 2011. A little over 13…
‘My client is the speaker’: Jury hears wiretapped calls of Madigan co-defendant, longtime friend
Prosecutors paint picture of Mike McClain’s extreme loyalty to ex-Illinois House speaker CHICAGO – By early 2019, Mike McClain had been a fixture around the Statehouse in Springfield for the better part of 50 years, first as a Democratic lawmaker in the 1970s and then for decades as a high-profile contract lobbyist. And though he…
Streets around central Illinois lined for fallen state trooper Corey Thompsen
Officers from Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri attended the service and participated in a procession for trooper Corey Thompsen.
‘Became a hero’: Family announces funeral plans for fallen state trooper
CHAMPAIGN – Funeral arrangements for a fallen Illinois state trooper have been announced. The family of Corey Thompsen said in a news release shared by Illinois State Police that the visitation will be held October 26 from 1-5 p.m. at St. Joseph-Ogden High School in St. Joseph with a first responder walk through at 5…
ComEd exec testifies utility prepared for bankruptcy before 2011 law threw it a lifeline
First portion of Madigan corruption trial a repeat of 2023’s ‘ComEd Four’ case CHICAGO – In 2006, electric utility Commonwealth Edison was riding out the last year of a decadelong state-mandated rate freeze, which had put the company in “dire” financial straits. In a period when corporate profits climbed at record rates, ComEd was an…
FBI ‘turned over heaven and earth’ for evidence against Madigan but found only ‘legal favors,’ defense says
The FBI “turned over heaven and earth” to find incriminating evidence against former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan but ultimately found nothing more than “legal favors,” an attorney for Madigan’s longtime friend and confidant told jurors Tuesday. That won’t be enough to convict Michael McClain, the former lawmaker and lobbyist now on trial alongside Madigan, defense attorney John…
Grayson, Massey family await court decision that could allow for his release from jail
Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson remains behind bars for the death of Sonya Massey. But a court is being asked to release him while he awaits his murder trial. Grayson, 30, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty. Grayson is being held…
Michael Madigan racketeering trial gets underway: ‘The corruption of public office for private gain’
The opening statements kick off the trial of the longest-serving state House speaker in the country, and one of the most powerful politicians in Illinois history. The FBI has pursued Madigan for more than a decade, and the probe forced him from power in 2021. A federal prosecutor accused former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan of…