State Rep. Jaime Andrade mentioned earlier this yr in a Tribune interview that he did not know whether or not former House Speaker Michael Madigan helped his spouse get a job with the Secretary of State in 2018.
On Thursday, nonetheless, the jury in Madigan’s corruption trial heard a wiretapped name through which Andrade, a Chicago Democrat, was informed by Madigan’s longtime confidant in no unsure phrases who had been pulling the strings.
“The speaker jumped in all places, in order that’s good,” Michael McClain informed Andrade within the August 2018 name, which was performed for the primary time in court docket.
Although there was nothing unlawful about Madigan’s favor, the episode was held up by prosecutors as additional proof of the ability and affect wielded by Madigan, and, by proxy, McClain, throughout the interval of the alleged racketeering conspiracy.
Madigan’s legal professionals had objected to the calls offered to the jury, saying they might be prejudicial, however U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey dominated earlier than the trial started that they have been related.
Andrade couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.
The Andrade-related recordings have been an aberration in per week of testimony in any other case centered on one of many trial’s central allegations: an alleged scheme by ComEd to increase a stream of advantages to Madigan and his allies, primarily by way of requests forwarded by McClain, so as to acquire the speaker’s help for Springfield’s laws.
Last Thursday, former ComEd government Fidel Marquez, one in all two key undercover collaborators within the Madigan investigation, concluded a marathon six days on the witness stand, taking the jury by way of dozens of secret audio and video recordings of the FBI that shaped the spine of ComEd. accusations.
Marquez endured a grueling two-day cross-examination by legal professionals for each Madigan and McClain, who attacked his credibility on varied fronts, together with makes an attempt to cover property from his spouse throughout their contentious divorce and false statements about his felony conviction when he tried to purchase a gun to shoot rattlesnakes final yr.
The protection additionally questioned Márquez’s motives for cooperating, suggesting that he had agreed to plead responsible to corruption conspiracy solely to keep away from a protracted jail sentence. In reality, in trade for his truthful testimony, prosecutors have mentioned they won’t advocate any time behind bars in any respect.
That led to a memorable redirection of questioning Thursday morning, when jurors heard for the primary time that the alleged bribery scheme had unfold far past simply Madigan and McClain.
Marquez confirmed from the stand that a number of figures who’ve already performed outstanding roles within the trial – former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, lobbyist John Hooker, advisor Jay Doherty and ComEd itself – have been criminally charged on the premise, in a part of Marquez’s huge collaboration.
That info was banned from the trial, and through jury choice final month legal professionals dutifully eradicated many potential jurors who knew concerning the earlier ComEd Four case.
But Deputy U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu argued Thursday that he ought to be allowed to indicate that Márquez’s cooperation was widespread and that his deal didn’t hinge solely on the Madigan case.
The decide dominated that Márquez may testify that these entities had been charged, however didn’t point out that they’d been convicted.
Once the jury returned, Bhachu obtained straight to the purpose, asking Marquez about secret calls and in-person conferences he had secretly recorded with McClain, Doherty, Pramaggiore and Hooker.
“You had a microphone on them, proper to say?” Bahchu mentioned. “And they have been all charged in consequence?”
Bhachu additionally identified that Marquez has been collaborating for greater than 5 and a half years to date and that extra will probably observe.
“Under the phrases of your settlement, will it’s a must to testify in any future proceedings if the federal government asks you to take action?” he requested. Marquez replied: “Yes.”
Madigan, 82, of Chicago, who was speaker of the Illinois House for many years and head of the state Democratic Party, faces racketeering expenses that allege he ran his state and political operations as a legal enterprise.
Among the allegations: a number of Madigan allies obtained jobless subcontracts from ComEd; the utility reserves internships every year for younger folks despatched from Madigan’s thirteenth Ward; and a regulation agency led by Madigan fundraiser Victor Reyes received a profitable contract with ComEd, presumably at Madigan’s request.
Both Madigan and McClain, 77, a former contract lobbyist for ComEd from southern Quincy state, have pleaded not responsible and denied any wrongdoing.
The trial, which started on October 8, was anticipated to final round 11 weeks, however the decide confirmed to the events on Thursday that this estimate was “wildly incorrect”. He mentioned he now estimated the trial would final till not less than mid-January, with a week-long break over the Christmas holidays. He requested legal professionals for either side to determine what to inform the jury.
“There’s nothing improper with the size of the trial, we simply have to let the jury know,” Blakey mentioned.
Marquez testified for a complete of practically 27 hours beginning final Tuesday. Once out of the witness stand, the prosecution relied on a sequence of wiretapped cellphone calls, together with conversations involving Andrade.
On July 2, 2018, Madigan, then-Speaker of the House and head of the state Democratic Party, informed McClain that Andrade “got here to me and the identical story, he wants cash, and he had thought possibly I may assist his spouse one thing.”
Madigan defined that Andrade’s spouse was Spanish-speaking and initially from Peru, and that he had thought-about handing her over to Doherty, although “not essentially to ComEd.”
“I believed I would truly put Jay Doherty on maintain,” Madigan mentioned within the recording. “And then he would take her and she or he would do no matter she wished to do. We would inform Andrade to arrange month-to-month experiences on what he’s doing. So he has it on file.”
They ended up discovering a place for Andrade’s spouse doing analysis for then-Secretary of State’s basic counsel Jesse White. The jury then heard one other name through which Andrade thanked McClain for the trouble.
“I hope she actually enjoys the job,” McClain informed Andrade throughout the Aug. 29, 2018 name. “She can be taught loads in that function, and she will keep it up for not less than three or 4 years, be taught all of the mumbo jumbo, all of the phrases magical. … He has the chance to go elsewhere and make much more cash.”
Andrade informed McClain he was “happy” with the end result and thanked McClain profusely.
“I’ve two kids who go to Catholic college,” she mentioned. “It will likely be sufficient to pay for tuition, aftercare and pre-care whereas I’m in session.”
“I believed I’d name you as a result of (Madigan) and I have been speaking about cha, so … I hope she actually likes the job,” McClain mentioned.
“Thank you once more, Mr. McClain,” Andrade mentioned.
The Tribune first revealed earlier this yr that Andrade, who represents elements of Chicago’s Northwest Side, was the elected official named in court docket paperwork as Public Official E.
At the time, Andrade informed the newspaper that Madigan was one in all many individuals he reached out to about his spouse’s potential employment. “I requested about 50 folks, together with Madigan,” Andrade, who isn’t accused of wrongdoing, mentioned in his remarks to a Tribune reporter.
Andrade mentioned on the time {that a} bout with COVID-19 had brought on reminiscence lapses and he did not know if Madigan had something to do along with his spouse’s hiring. Although Andrade remembered speaking to McClain, he wasn’t certain why he would thank him particularly.
According to information, Andrade’s spouse presently makes about $62,000 a yr in a authorized place with the Secretary of State. Neither she nor Andrade ought to be referred to as to testify.
Prosecutors on Thursday additionally performed a sequence of wiretapped conversations between ComEd insiders that erupted after Marquez, underneath FBI supervision, requested what he ought to inform the corporate’s new CEO, Joseph Dominguez, concerning the subcontracting offers with Madigan’s do-nothing allies.
In a February 2019 name, McClain informed Hooker what he had mentioned to Marquez throughout lunch at Saputo restaurant in Springfield, an encounter that Marquez had surreptitiously recorded on video.
“I simply informed Marquez to be clear,” McClain informed Hooker. “We needed to rent these guys as a result of Mike Madigan got here to us. …That’s how easy it’s. So if you wish to flip this right into a lawsuit in federal court docket, okay, nevertheless it’s that straightforward.
“This was one of the simplest ways to do it,” Hooker mentioned. “This street is without doubt one of the greatest. … It’s clear for all of us.”
McClain and Hooker congratulated one another on the elegant resolution they discovered: Since the jobless subcontractors have been underneath Jay Doherty’s contract, if anybody requested whether or not they have been professional, it was as much as Doherty to show that they have been truly working.
“That’s why we set issues up this manner, John,” McClain mentioned.
Hooker responded utilizing Madigan’s frequent nickname: “We got here up with this plan and between him, our buddy, and Tim (Mapes, Madigan’s then-chief of workers), and the alderman, they thought it was nice,” he mentioned .
“Well, you and I made it up,” McClain mentioned. “They did not make it up.”
“No, we invented it, however they thought it was nice as soon as they heard it,” Hooker mentioned.
Dominguez was additionally prime of thoughts later that month when McClain talked about it in a wiretapped cellphone name with Hooker and Pramaggiore.
McClain mentioned he was skeptical that Dominguez would “snap out of it” and do one thing rapidly when Madigan requested it.
“I do not suppose he actually respects Madigan,” he mentioned. «I would not belief Joe. I’d belief Joe to suppose that this can be a quid professional quo and that he’s hardwired.
Later within the name, McClain mentioned he would not be shy about giving Dominguez the true lay of the land.
“My intuition is that I’m going to go to Chicago and sit down with Dominguez and say, ‘Now, look, (expletive), if you wish to move this invoice, that is what it requires,’” McClain mentioned.
“’Or you need to seem like the chief and be the chief, however meaning it’s a must to empower your folks to do issues. Or if you wish to maintain enjoying your silly video games… that is advantageous,’” he continued. “I do not thoughts a dad speaking to this man.”
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
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