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
Tag: Mike Madigan
‘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.
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
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
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
Michael Madigan’s 12 jurors have finally been chosen — alternates still needed before openings begin
The 12 primary jurors include a nurse who enjoys Marvel movies, a woman who works for Aramark and another woman who has worked in catering, including for an event tied to the recent Democratic National Convention. It took seven days and dozens of interviews, but 12 jurors have finally been chosen to decide whether Michael J.
Madigan judge refuses to toss counts after Supreme Court ruling limited bribery law
U.S. District Judge John Blakey handed down his ruling less than a week before the former Illinois House Speaker is set for trial. The judge also denied a request from Madigan’s longtime friend and confidante to be tried separately. A federal judge on Wednesday declined to dismiss criminal charges leveled against former Illinois House
Case of former AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan heads to jury
Ex-AT&T Illinois president maintains company got legislative win through legal lobbying CHICAGO – On Valentine’s Day in 2017, then-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza got some good news: After years of trying to push for legislation in Springfield that would save the company hundreds of millions of dollars annually, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael
Prosecutors rest case against former AT&T Illinois boss accused of bribing Madigan
Former Illinois House speaker appears in separate courtroom ahead of own trial CHICAGO – After years of pushing in Springfield, AT&T Illinois’ executive team was thrilled when the Illinois General Assembly in 2017 passed legislation that would get the company out from under expensive obligations to maintain its aging copper landline wires in Illinois. “Game
In bribery trial, AT&T lobbyists detail contentious meeting with Madigan ally
Feds allege AT&T boss bribed Madigan with contract for political ally Eddie Acevedo CHICAGO – On an afternoon in late April 2017, recently retired state Rep. Eddie Acevedo was called to a meeting in the state Capitol in Springfield. The 20-year veteran lawmaker had joined his sons’ lobbying firm and was looking for work. Meeting