On Thursday, jurors within the corruption trial of former House Speaker Michael Madigan listened to a wiretapped cellphone name wherein the speaker’s longtime confidante laid out his moderately old-school worldview when it got here to political hiring suggestions.
It was May 23, 2018, and McClain was speaking to Madigan’s son, Andrew, about his frustration with gasoline firm representatives who complained they have been pressured to rent somebody really helpful by the speaker as a part of the entrenched system state pay-to-play. .
“This is what occurs while you’re within the sport,” McClain mentioned in the course of the name, which was secretly recorded by the FBI. “And you by no means know, possibly sooner or later you may ask your self a favor. I imply, that is it, you may’t be offended. Oh, so that you had strain too? Are you kidding me?”
Later on the identical name, McClain continued his diatribe, saying, “I like these folks.”
“They are a part of a regulatory physique, proper?” McClain mentioned, in keeping with the affidavit. “And they get offended when folks ask for favors. HI? Stupid (expletive).”
In one other cellphone name the identical day, Fidel Márquez, then a high ComEd govt, spoke with McClain in regards to the follow of political hiring.
“I do not know if anybody likes it, however folks want to know how, what’s behind all this,” Márquez mentioned within the recording, which was additionally performed for the jury. I say, ‘That possibly sooner or later you will have a query and it will likely be remembered.’”
“Exactly,” McClain replied. “Is every thing okay?”
The calls — which have been excluded from the ComEd Four trial final 12 months and have been offered publicly for the primary time Thursday — spotlight allegations that ComEd went out of its solution to please Madigan as a way to acquire his assist on the laws key to Springfield.
Among the favors prosecutors allege ComEd did for the speaker over time: paying $1.3 million to Madigan allies employed as “do nothing” consulting subcontractors, inserting Madigan’s really helpful candidate on the board of utility firm administration, hiring a legislation agency led by Madigan’s longtime fundraiser Victor Reyes, and saving coveted spots in his summer season internship program for thirteenth Ward candidates.
The newest wiretaps have been performed in the course of the third day of testimony from Márquez, one of many prosecution’s key witnesses who started working with the FBI in early 2019 after brokers confronted him at his mom’s home they usually had performed his intercepted cellphone calls which, in keeping with them, confirmed him committing crimes.
Marquez went on to make quite a few undercover recordings, each audio and video, that supplied the spine to the biggest single allegation within the indictment: that Madigan supported ComEd-friendly laws in trade for a stream of advantages from the utility.
Marquez pleaded responsible in 2020 to conspiracy to commit bribery. In trade for his truthful testimony, prosecutors mentioned they are going to suggest a sentence of probation as an alternative of jail.
In different testimony Thursday, Marquez spoke to the panel about his function overseeing ComEd’s summer season internship program, saying the corporate usually reserves as much as 10 coveted spots for candidates affiliated with Madigan’s thirteenth Ward.
Márquez mentioned the corporate locations specific emphasis on candidates who concentrate on science- or technology-related fields.
The resumes have been “handed to me by Mike McClain,” Marquez mentioned. These candidates didn’t need to compete with the final pool and have been typically stripped of minimal GPA necessities, he mentioned.
The jury witnessed a relentless stream of emails from Michael McClain over time pushing Marquez and others to take summer season internships on the thirteenth Ward.
“I’m not making an attempt to be troublesome…” McClain started an e-mail in 2014, earlier than peppering Marquez with requests for college students who have been within the fallacious discipline or had poor grades. In one other e-mail three years later, McClain forwarded a few names to Marquez, writing: “Fidel, please work your magic and get these two guys again on the ‘hiring checklist,’ will you?”
In April 2017, McClain despatched an e-mail to Pramaggiore at 4:53 a.m. with the topic line “Mmmmmmm.” McClain mentioned he was involved he “needed to” deliver some issues to his consideration, together with that the particular person managing the ComEd internships “has not been educated on the trail of our ‘Friend’.”
One of the 2018 interns Madigan despatched turned out to be a theater main with a 1.1 GPA. Feeling he hadn’t made it, McClain wrote, “Boy, we play more durable this 12 months than up to now.”
When Marquez knowledgeable him in regards to the GPA concern, McClain responded: “Holy crap. Mine have been increased than that quantity too!!!!!!!!”
Marquez replied: “I’m positive yours have been undoubtedly increased. I figured you did not know. When I used to be knowledgeable I could not consider it, so I requested them to double examine. I do not suppose our requirements are that low…”
Madigan, 82, of Chicago, who was speaker of the Illinois House for many years and head of the state Democratic Party, faces racketeering costs that allege he ran his state and political operations as a legal enterprise.
Both Madigan and McClain, 77, a former contract lobbyist for ComEd from southern Quincy state, have pleaded not responsible and denied any wrongdoing.
Andrew Madigan, whose voice was heard Thursday on the decision with McClain, has not been accused of wrongdoing.
But the indictment towards his father states that in August 2018 the then-Speaker of the House requested Ald. Daniel Solis to assist steer insurance coverage enterprise to Andrew throughout a gathering in regards to the alderman’s potential appointment to a profitable state board.
Solis, one other key authorities witness, is predicted to testify later within the trial.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
