Officially it is named Case No. 22-cr-115, United States vs. Michael Madigan and Michael McClain.
Unofficially, it is among the largest public corruption circumstances ever prosecuted in Illinois, even in a state with a protracted historical past of extremely profitable political trials.
Madigan, 82, a former Illinois House speaker and head of the state Democratic Party, and his longtime confidant, former lobbyist Michael McClain, 77, are charged in a 117-page superseding indictment and 23 counts filed in October 2022 with conspiracy and a variety of different crimes.
By now lots of the accusations are well-known. But how precisely are the counts divided?
Here’s a rundown:
Point 1: Racketeering Conspiracy (Madigan, McClain). This common indictment alleges that Madigan’s political operation was a enterprise enterprise and that each Madigan and McClain conspired to commit quite a lot of overt felony acts, resembling bribery or wire fraud, in furtherance of the enterprise’s goals. To convict on this depend, the jury should discover past an affordable doubt that no less than two of those “predicated” acts have been dedicated.
Count 2: Conspiracy (Madigan). This depend alleges a multi-pronged bribery conspiracy to assist ComEd go main laws in alternate for hiring no less than 5 Madigan associates as do-not consultants, paying a complete of $1.3 million over almost eight years of conspiracy. It mirrors the allegations from final yr’s “ComEd Four” trial, which led to general convictions of McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, lobbyist John Hooker and guide Jay Doherty.
Point 3: corruption (Madigan). This depend refers to an alleged plan to nominate Juan Ochoa, a Madigan political nemesis, to ComEd’s board of administrators as a way to appease former U.S. Rep. Luis Gutiérrez and his Latino base.
Count 4: Corruption (Madigan). This depend particularly refers to an alleged scheme to funnel funds from ComEd to former twenty third Ward Ald. Michael Zalewski.
Count 5: Travel Law (Madigan). This depend pertains to the usage of interstate communication in an alleged scheme to funnel funds to Zalewski via Doherty’s consulting agency.
Count 6: Corruption (Madigan). This depend fees Madigan with a scheme to funnel funds from ComEd to former thirteenth Ward Ald. Frank Olivo, district captain Ray Nice and Zalewski in 2019.
Count 7: Travel Law (Madigan). This depend assumes the usage of interstate communication on July 10, 2018, in assist of the ComEd scheme.
Count 8, 9, 10: Electronic fraud (Madigan). All of those counts allege that Madigan participated in a scheme to supply profitable state positions to then-Ald. Daniel Solis, who secretly collaborated with the FBI, is among the councilor’s family members.
Count 11: Corruption (Madigan). This depend particularly alleges that Madigan took steps to discover a state board place for Solis via the administration of incoming governor J.B. Pritzker.
Count 12: Travel Law (Madigan). This depend alleges that Madigan used interstate communications within the state board program – particularly, that on August 15, 2018, Madigan allegedly spoke with Solis to rearrange a gathering with Harry Skydell, the developer of the Old Post Office, to attempt to win its tax exercise.
Count 13: Travel Law (Madigan). Another depend within the alleged state board scheme, this one particularly refers to August 31, 2018, when, at Madigan’s request, Solis knowledgeable Skydell that Madigan was concerned about representing him in tax appeals, together with for the Prudential constructing.
Count 14: Travel Law (Madigan). This depend refers to a recorded December 1, 2018 dialog by which Madigan confirmed that Solis was ready on the Illinois Commerce Commission or Labor Relations Board and Solis indicated that he would ship a resume to Madigan the next week. At the course of regulation enforcement, Solis’ assistant subsequently emailed Solis and her daughter’s resumes to the thirteenth Ward workplace, which forwarded them to an assistant at Madigan & Getzendanner.
Charge 15: Attempted extortion (Madigan). The depend refers to Madigan’s alleged plan to get the developer of the Union West luxurious condo advanced within the West Loop to rent Madigan’s regulation agency in alternate for Solis’ assist with zoning.
Count 16 Travel Law (Madigan). This depend issues a June 23, 2017 name about Union West builders by which Solis allegedly advised Madigan, “And I believe they perceive the way it works, you recognize, the quid professional quo, the quid professional quo.” Madigan reportedly replied, “OK.”
Count 17: Travel Law (Madigan). Another case involving the Union West plan. This stems from a July 12, 2017 telephone name by which Solis confirmed an upcoming assembly with builders at Madigan’s regulation workplace and that they understood that zoning approvals from Solis have been contingent on the sale of enterprise to Madigan.
Count 18: Travel Law (Madigan). This depend issues the assembly with Madigan, Solis and the Union West builders on July 18, 2017. Before the assembly, Madigan was captured on a hidden video telling Solis to not use the phrase “quid professional quo.” “You should not speak like that. …You’re simply recommending our regulation agency as a result of if they do not get end result on the property taxes, the entire undertaking goes to be in bother.”
Count 19, 20: wire fraud (Madigan, McClain). These counts stem from an alleged plan by Madigan and McClain to switch a state-owned parcel of land in Chinatown to town for growth. In alternate, Madigan would await builders of a lodge undertaking to rent his regulation agency.
Count 21: Corruption (Madigan, McClain). This depend additionally refers back to the alleged Chinatown lot relocation plan.
Count 22. Travel Law (Madigan, McClain). Another Chinatown tally, this one stems from a Nov. 2, 2018 telephone name by which Madigan and McClain allegedly talked about who would sponsor the invoice to switch the property within the state legislature.
Count 23: Conspiracy (Madigan, McClain). This depend alleges that Madigan and McClain participated in a bribery scheme by which AT&T Illinois chief Paul La Schiazza agreed to pay retired state Rep. Eddie Acevedo $22,500 for consulting work with out doing something in alternate for the assistance of Madigan in passing a invoice to finish necessary landline service.
