Former state Rep. Edward Acevedo’s second day of testimony in Michael Madigan’s corruption trial turned testy Tuesday from the second a prosecutor stated “Good morning.”
“Good morning. Can you hear me?” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu requested Acevedo, a former Chicago police officer and certainly one of Madigan’s leaders within the House.
“Are you speaking to me?” Acevedo requested.
“I’m,” Bhachu retorted. “Did you put on glasses right this moment, sir?”
“I did it,” Acevedo stated.
“Congratulations.”
By reminding Acevedo of his failure to put on glasses in court docket Monday — which drew the ire of the choose — Bhachu set the tone for what can be a collection of rapid-fire questions on Acevedo’s reminiscence and the way his testimony in Madigan’s trial differed from what he stated underneath oath earlier than a federal grand jury two years in the past.
Acevedo, in the meantime, has been identified with dementia and a mind tumor, and his testimony will certainly be known as unreliable by the protection.
Acevedo, 61, a Chicago Democrat, is on the middle of allegations that AT&T Illinois and Commonwealth Edison funneled a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} in consulting contracts with out doing something to Acevedo and different Madigan loyalists in change for assist from the speaker with laws in Springfield.
Prosecutors allege that Acevedo, 61, was paid a complete of $142,500 by AT&T and ComEd after retiring from the Illinois House in 2017, though he wasn’t anticipated to do a lot for that cash.
On Tuesday, Bhachu requested Acevedo if he informed the FBI in September 2019 that Madigan’s lead lawyer, Heather Weir Vaught, had known as him just a few weeks earlier and requested if he had a lawyer.
Acevedo informed Bhachu that he cannot keep in mind who Weir Vaught is.
Bhachu additionally requested Acevedo about his grand jury testimony through which he was requested whether or not he offered any oral stories to AT&T authorities affairs officer Stephen Selcke after hiring him in 2017. His response then: “I do not recall that.” .
On Monday, nevertheless, he informed the panel that he “verbally” briefed Selcke on the standing of the Latino caucus within the Illinois General Assembly.
Bhachu additionally requested about one other assertion earlier than the grand jury, through which Acevedo stated he spoke in individual with an AT&T lobbyist. About what? he was requested.
“I informed you I talked to him about issues that had been occurring within the Latino neighborhood,” Acevedo stated earlier than the grand jury. He additionally informed the grand jury that he had spoken to AT&T about donating to a scholarship fund for needy youngsters.
Bhachu concluded by asking about Acevedo’s sons, Michael and Alex, who like Acevedo had been every convicted of tax fees as a part of the Madigan investigation.
And had been you offended about it too? Bhachu requested.
“Yes, any father can be,” Acevedo stated.
Bhachu completed his line of questions after solely about 20 minutes.
During the cross, Acevedo started sniffing when requested about his dementia and different issues, saying it harm him to have bother remembering his grandchildren’s names.
Acevedo testified on the cross that he had by no means requested anybody for a job with out introducing himself.
“Has AT&T ever provided you a job with out displaying up?” requested Patrick Cotter, the lawyer for Madigan’s co-defendant, Michael McClain.
“No,” Acevedo stated.
Acevedo, who has myriad well being issues, took the stand late Monday, maneuvering a walker simply previous Madigan on the protection desk with out showing to look within the former speaker’s route.
Prosecutors fought onerous to get him into the courtroom. Acevedo initially appealed to his Fifth Amendment proper to not testify, however the U.S. lawyer’s workplace obtained a grant of immunity forcing him to take the stand. He can’t be prosecuted for what he says underneath oath, so long as his testimony is truthful, in line with the settlement.
Acevedo’s lawyer, Gabrielle Sansonetti, then strenuously argued that Acevedo has been identified with dementia and isn’t competent to reliably testify. After in depth hearings final week, together with an in-camera interview with Blakey through which Acevedo himself was questioned, the choose dominated that Acevedo might take the stand.
Acevedo, a Chicago Democrat, was anticipated to be one of many final prosecution witnesses in opposition to Madigan and McClain. Prosecutors might dismiss their case-in-chief as early as Tuesday afternoon.
Dressed in a inexperienced zip-up sweater, Acevedo answered questions immediately Monday and principally with one- or two-word solutions. At one level, when requested to take a look at his grand jury transcript, Acevedo stated he could not learn it and had forgotten his glasses. He appeared to squint even after prosecutors enlarged the doc on the display.
He testified for lower than half an hour earlier than the trial was adjourned for the day, with direct examination to renew Tuesday morning. Before Acevedo left the witness stand, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey warned him and Sansonetti to not overlook their glasses once more or he could possibly be held in contempt of court docket.
“I’ll purchase him a pair of glasses and produce them to him, your honor,” Sansonetti stated as he helped Acevedo information his walker to the courtroom door.
Acevedo’s testimony marks the primary time he has taken the witness stand in a Madigan-related trial, regardless of being a central determine in all of them, together with a collection of unflattering feedback in emails and wiretaps accusing him of boorish habits and extreme alcohol consumption.
He was not charged in Madigan’s case, however pleaded responsible to associated tax fees and was sentenced in 2022 to 6 months in jail. His youngsters additionally had been convicted of taxes associated to cash Acevedo took in by means of his consulting agency.
Toward the tip of his testimony Monday, Acevedo was requested about his conviction and whether or not he had any animosity towards the federal government within the matter.
“You had been shocked that you simply had been accused by the federal government, weren’t you?” Bhachu requested.
Acevedo replied, “Yes.”
Acevedo testified that as he neared retirement, he requested McClain to ask Madigan for assist discovering work as a lobbyist and met with the speaker about it on a number of events. He stated Madigan assured him he would assist him work with AT&T or ComEd.
“I used to be additionally asking anybody who would hear,” Acevedo stated.
The jury has already seen a collection of emails between AT&T executives detailing Acevedo’s push for cash as he leaves politics, a put up largely dealt with by McClain, a lobbyist and longtime confidant of the speaker.
The executives agreed so as to add extra money to the contract of certainly one of their current lobbyists, Tom Cullen, who agreed to behave as a intermediary and pay Acevedo with the additional cash he obtained from AT&T, in line with testimony and proof offered to the jury. .
Cullen, a former Madigan aide who turned to lobbying, testified final week that when AT&T officers informed Acevedo their supply was $2,500 a month, Acevedo “acquired offended.”
After their assembly broke up with out decision, Acevedo unexpectedly known as Cullen. “He informed me it was price extra money and that AT&T was low-cost and he used some selection phrases and informed me it wasn’t a good deal,” Cullen stated.
What precisely did he say? requested Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker.
“He stated ‘F––– AT&T, they’ll kiss my ass.’ ” Cullen testified.
On Monday, Acevedo informed the jury he remembered assembly with Selcke and different AT&T representatives in then-state Rep. Lou Lang’s workplace on the Capitol, and agreed he wasn’t happy with the $2,500-a-month supply.
“I informed them my frustration that different folks had been getting a lot increased wages than me,” Acevedo testified.
Bhachu didn’t ask Acevedo about his allegedly vulgar feedback to Cullen over the cellphone, solely asking whether or not Acevedo finally agreed to the phrases.
“Yes, sir, I did,” Acevedo stated.
Madigan, 82, of Chicago, who was speaker of the Illinois House for many years and head of the state Democratic Party, faces racketeering fees that allege he ran his state and political operations as a prison enterprise.
Both Madigan and McClain, 77, a former contract lobbyist for ComEd from southern Quincy state, have pleaded not responsible and denied any wrongdoing.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
