Illinois
Government Wrapping Up Its Corruption Case Against Former Illinois Speaker
Government attorneys are wrapping up their case with a focus on AT&T and former state Rep. Eddie Acevedo, D-Chicago, at the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and codefendant Michael McClain.
Judge John Robert Blakey ruled Wednesday that Acevedo would be required to testify next Monday, despite questions about Acevedo’s competency as a witness.
Blakey denied defense attorneys’ motion to quash Acevedo’s subpoena Wednesday morning. Blakey pointed to the distinction between the credibility of the witness and competency to testify. Acevedo’s attorney, Gabrielle Sansonetti, had also sought to prevent Acevedo’s testimony by saying her client had dementia.
U.S. government attorneys have introduced evidence showing that Acevedo was paid by AT&T and ComEd for do-nothing jobs. In a separate case, Acevedo was sentenced in 2022 to six months in prison for tax evasion.
Lobbyist Thomas Cullen, who worked for Madigan from 1987 to 1999 in both the Speaker’s office and the Democratic Party of Illinois, reported to the witness stand Wednesday afternoon.
Prosecutors say AT&T made payments to Acevedo through Cullen’s lobbying firm.
Cullen said his attorney, Thomas Durkin, requested a non-target letter from the government to indicate that Cullen is not the target of the investigation corresponding with the trial of Madigan and McClain.
Cullen called himself a “political junkie” and said he was loyal to the speaker and loyal to Democrats.
Cullen said McClain would ask him to go to his clients and request campaign donations for Illinois Democrats in target districts.
Government attorney Sarah Streicker displayed a transcript of a recording from Aug. 29, 2018, of McClain asking Cullen, on behalf of “our mutual friend,” to join him and others in donating $1,000 each per month for six months to former Madigan aide Kevin Quinn, who had been dismissed over harassment claims.
Cullen said he understood “our mutual friend” to mean Mike Madigan and agreed emphatically to McClain’s request, even though Cullen said there were no unique services that Quinn could provide for him.
During the call, McClain said that Madigan would “take care of Kevin” once Madigan was sworn in as speaker.
Cullen testified that Kevin Quinn was an effective member of Madigan’s 13th Ward Democratic Organization in Chicago. Cullen said he paid Quinn $1,000 per month for six months.
Cullen said he helped AT&T talk with Illinois lawmakers about carrier-of-last-resort legislation. According to Cullen, a COLR bill was AT&T’s No. 1 priority in 2017. The legislation passed that summer.
Streicker asked Cullen about Acevedo, who had served as an assistant majority leader for Democratic members of the Illinois House under Madigan until Acevedo left the General Assembly in 2017.
Cullen said AT&T did not want Acevedo’s successor, Theresa Mah, D-Chicago, to know that the company was paying Acevedo, because Mah had defeated Acevedo’s son in a contentious campaign. Cullen said he agreed to hire Acevedo even though he did not think Acevedo could add anything of value to his firm.
“He wasn’t a serious member of the General Assembly … I didn’t think he could add anything to my team,” Cullen added.
Cullen described a meeting during which Acevedo “got mad” and used “some choice words” because he was upset that AT&T was being “cheap” by only offering him $2,500 per month.
Prosecutors called AT&T Illinois employee Barbara Galvin to the witness stand Wednesday morning. Galvin said she has worked in the company’s external and legislative affairs department since 2003.
Government attorney Amar Bhachu introduced a 2017 consultant agreement with Cullen’s firm to work under the direction of AT&T President Paul La Schiazza.
According to the agreement, Cullen’s firm did not have authority to give gifts or payments directly or indirectly to political officials or parties.
Bhachu also displayed an amendment to the deal that raised the payment amount to Cullen’s firm from $7,500 per month to $10,000 per month.
Bhachu then introduced an email among AT&T legislative affairs members explaining the increased payments for an additional asset, which Galvin testified was “Eddie Acevedo,” to support House Democratic leadership.
Bhachu then showed jurors a document showing AT&T’s sponsorship of a fundraising event for Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness in Chicago “to provide stakeholder opportunities with legislators.” The document included language explaining the $2,500 cost of the event, to align with Aunt Martha’s, was “to position AT&T with state, city and county decision-makers and business leaders.”
FBI Special Agent Jennifer Avila followed Galvin to the witness stand and testified about AT&T records related to the company’s efforts to lobby Madigan for telecommunications modernization. Prosecutors introduced several emails over prior objections by the defense teams.
In one email, La Schiazza wrote, “In Illinois no bill can get through the legislature and to the Governor without the tacit approval of the all-powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan. He is the longest serving Speaker in the United States and rules the House with an iron fist.”
Another email from La Schiazza asked if there was money set aside for Eddie Acevedo. A subsequent email recommended that Acevedo not be contracted directly with AT&T but instead be hired by Cullen’s firm.
In a series of emails, AT&T executives indicated that Acevedo “felt insulted” by the company’s consulting offer of $2,500 per month and asked for $3,000 per month. Acevedo eventually accepted the $2500 amount for consulting through Cullen & Associates.
Government attorney Julia Schwartz introduced a series of emails from the summer of 2017, after the General Assembly passed legislation favored by AT&T. In one email, the speaker’s son, Andrew Madigan, emailed AT&T officials to invite them to participate in a fundraiser for Aunt Martha’s.
La Schiazza suggested that this would not be the last such request and, after some discussion via email, La Schiazza wrote, “We’re on the friends and family plan now.”
Connie Mixon, professor of Political Science and director of the Urban Studies Program at Elmhurst University, said defense attorneys might argue that AT&T’s behavior is not unusual.
“Most people, most organizations, most corporations try to curry favor with legislators and, importantly, the powerful Speaker of the Illinois House, Michael Madigan,” Mixon told The Center Square.
Lobbyist and former Madigan aide Will Cousineau mentioned AT&T in a wiretapped call with McClain on May 25, 2018.
“Zalewski was asked to get you language on his small cell item today?” Cousineau asked.
“Yeah?” McClain said.
“Was that to talk to, to start a discussion with AT&T? And here’s the reason I’m asking: I’ve got a little, uh, COLR relief for little Century Link in there, um, that I would like to hook to anything that moves, and it’s in the language that he got you,” Cousineau said.
Former AT&T executive Deno Perdiou began testifying Tuesday afternoon but did not return Wednesday due to what Blakey called “a personal issue.”
The court is not scheduled to be in session Thursday or Friday. Trial proceedings are scheduled to resume Monday morning at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago.
Prosecutors indicated that they expect to rest their case Tuesday. Madigan’s defense attorneys suggested they would be ready to begin presenting their case when the government rests.
Attorneys mentioned that state Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, might return to the witness stand. Rita testified for about 10 minutes on Oct. 24 but did not return. Bhachu said there are “some things in play” with regard to Rita.
Madigan and McClain are charged with 23 counts of bribery, racketeering and official misconduct in connection with a scheme U.S. government attorneys termed, “The Madigan Enterprise.”
Prosecutors allege that ComEd and AT&T Illinois gave out no-work or little-work jobs and contract work to those loyal to Madigan to get legislation passed that would benefit them in Springfield. Four ComEd executives and lobbyists were convicted last year in a related trial, and ComEd itself agreed to pay $200 million in fines as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with prosecutors.
This story first published in The Center Square. Read the original here.
Members of the Missouri and Illinois congressional delegations are split over President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran.
And some Democrats are criticizing Trump for launching the attack without conferring with Congress — and before lawmakers could vote on a war powers resolution that would have restricted the president from using force against Iran.
American and Israeli troops launched airstrikes around Iran on Saturday. In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump cited Iran’s refusal to abandon its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs as rationale for the attack. The Republican chief executive added that “the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties that often happens in war, but we’re doing this not for now.”
“We’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission,” Trump added.
Early reaction to Trump’s decision among Missouri and Illinois political figures broke down along party lines.
Jason Rosenbaum
/
St. Louis Public Radio.
Congresswoman Ann Wagner, R-Missouri, said in a statement that “for nearly fifty years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has proven itself to be utterly committed to violence, chaos, and instability.” Wagner, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, added that “the United States, along with the support from many of our allies around the world, will no longer allow this regime to wreak havoc at will.”
“As the President stated, Operation Epic Fury is a clear and necessary action to raze the Iranian ballistic missile industry to the ground, annihilate the Ayatollah’s navy, and ensure Iranian terrorism and nuclear threats can no longer destabilize the globe,” Wagner said. “The multiple statements of support from across the Western world illustrate the importance of this action.”
Wagner is alluding to how the leaders from a number of countries, including Canada, Australia and Ukraine, backed Trump’s decision to attack Iran.
U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, R-Missouri, said in a statement on X that he backed Trump’s “swift and bold action to finally hold the regime accountable.”
“The Iranian regime is the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, a destabilizing force across the region, and a threat to U.S. allies, interests, and bases in the Middle East,” Alford said. “Tehran is directly responsible for the deaths of countless Americans over the years.”
“As I’ve said for weeks, through either the easy way or the hard way, the Ayatollah needs to go,” Alford added.
Missouri Congressman Sam Graves said in a statement that Trump “took decisive action to protect our service members, our homeland, and our national security before that threat could grow.” And Congressman Mike Bost, R-Illinois, applauded President Trump acting decisively to protect America’s national security interests.
“God bless our military men and women in harm’s way; may the uncertain days ahead lead to a lasting peace for years to come,” Bost said.
U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Illinois, said Trump has “taken decisive action to defend America’s interests and confront those who threaten our security.”
“As our elite Armed Forces carry out Operation Epic Fury in Iran, we lift up our brave service members and the allies standing beside them in prayer for their safety and success in the mission,” Miller said in a statement on X.
Eric Lee
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Durbin, Pritzker decry decision
Democrats representing Illinois and Missouri roundly condemned Trump’s decision to attack Iran, including Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.
Duckworth said in her statement that “too many Americans believed him when he promised that he would get our nation out of foreign wars and bring prices down for families.” The Democratic lawmaker added Americans “can clearly see with their own eyes that he was lying”
“Instead, Donald Trump chose to put American lives and national security at risk while threatening to draw us into yet another expensive, taxpayer-funded forever war without Constitutionally-required authorization, a defined end-state or a real plan to prevent the instability that could come next,” Duckworth said. “He is making that choice while his chaotic policies here at home continue driving costs for middle-class Americans to record highs.”
While noting “there is bipartisan support for stopping the development of nuclear weapons in Iran, there is no consensus for another interminable war in the Middle East.”
Durbin, who is not seeking reelection this year, pointed out he was one of 23 senators to vote against authorizing military force in Iraq in 2002. Trump attacked Iran without receiving any authorization from Congress — and before lawmakers could vote on a war powers resolution aimed at restricting military force without permission from the country’s legislative branch.
“A war in Iran with the goal of regime change could be another long-term military commitment with deadly consequences for thousands of American troops,” Durbin said. “The rash and unpredictable conduct of President Trump is a well-established worry in many ways but an impulsive commander in chief is a deadly combination.”
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Democratic Reps. Wesley Bell and Nikki Budzinski both released statements criticizing Trump’s decision to strike Iran. Budzinski, an Illinois Democrat, said “the Constitution is clear: only Congress has the power to send our nation to war.”
“This is a grave responsibility — one we take with the utmost seriousness. But the same cannot be said for President Trump,” said Budzinski, who added she would support a War Powers resolution. “Once again, he has disregarded the principle of coequal branches of government. And now, the consequences could be profound and dangerous.”
Bell said in his statement that “no one should mistake opposition to this war for sympathy toward that government.” But the Missouri Democrat added “launching a regime change campaign without a clear strategy, a defined end goal, or honest preparation for the costs is dangerous and shortsighted”.
“Military force is the most serious power our country can exercise,” Bell said. “It requires clarity of purpose, clearly defined objectives, and a credible plan for what comes next. War is not something you enter lightly, and it is not something you get to redo if it goes wrong. The American people and their Representatives deserve to know that every diplomatic option was fully exhausted before we put our troops in harm’s way.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a potential presidential candidate in 2028, also blasted Trump’s decision for having “no justification, no authorization from Congress, and no clear objective.”
“But none of that matters to Donald Trump — and apparently neither do the safety and lives of American service members,” Pritzker said in a statement on BlueSky. “Donald Trump is once again sidestepping the Constitution and once again failing to explain why he’s taking us into another war. Americans asked for affordable housing and health care, not another potentially endless conflict. God protect our troops.”
Schmitt and Hawley mum for now
As of Saturday morning, Missouri Sens. Eric Schmitt and Josh Hawley had not released statements about Trump’s decision to attack Iran.
Both Missouri Republican senators were critical of Democratic President Joe Biden’s push to provide Ukraine with weapons to repel Russia’s invasion.
But they’ve been largely supportive of Trump’s foreign policy moves, even as some elements of the president’s political coalition have been fiercely critical of his interventionist decisions in Venezuela and Iran.
When asked about potential military action last week in Springfield, Hawley called Iran “a huge threat to the region, to our ally Israel — but also to our interests.”
“Iran absolutely cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and needs to be put in their box and kept in their box,” Hawley said. “And we need our allies in the region, particularly Israel, to be strong, to keep them deterred, and contained long term.”
This story has been updated with additional comment.
Michigan basketball entered Friday having lost nine straight games to Illinois. With the sole regular-season matchup coming in Champaign against the KenPom No. 4 Illini, it was going to be a tall task for the Wolverines to end that streak.
The game matched up the nation’s No. 2 defense against the No. 1 offense, and in front of a raucous Orange Krush, the maize and blue took a little while to get into an offensive rhythm. Because the No. 5 offense is no slouch, especially against the No. 31 defense. What’s more, Morez Johnson Jr. returned to Champaign after spending his first year with Illinois.
However, the Illini certainly showed how much Michigan appears to be their rival, and really played a physical brand of basketball. After Illinois got a five-point lead, the Wolverines bounced back and got a six-point lead. Illinois had a slight advantage in the first half on the boards, but the Wolverines had a field goal advantage. Both teams were relatively even on turnovers.
Ultimately, Michigan ended up taking a seven-point lead into the locker room at halftime, but backup point guard LJ Cason appeared to have hurt his knee on the final score of the half.
The second half started with a Michigan layup and an Illinois 3. The next round of scoring went exactly the same way. But then Yaxel Lendeborg hit a 3 to stop the asymmetry. They traded baskets, but then after a few Illinois turnovers, the Wolverines pushed the lead to 10.
Cason returned to the game after the under-16 media timeout, providing (temporary) good news for the maize and blue (he would leave the game again shortly). But the Wolverines missed a few shots, and Illinois took advantage, getting a shot from the field by Mirkovic before Wagler hit a 3 to cut the lead to five, prompting a Michigan timeout with 13:09 remaining.
Illinois cut Michigan’s lead back down to six, but Yaxel Lendeborg stretched it back to nine with a layup-and-one. Then Aday Mara started taking over.
Mara was unguardable, scoring floaters, dunks, and putbacks. His quick 7 points put the Wolverines up to a game-high of 14 with 9:13 remaining. The Illini answered to end the nearly three-minute field goal drought, ending Michigan’s 7-0 scoring run. But the Wolverine defense held, and Trey McKenney finally hit his first (of three) 3-point attempts to push the lead to 15, and he hit again on the next trip, pushing the lead to 18 with 7:34 left in the game. It was a 13-2 scoring run for the maize and blue.
After an Illinois timeout, they missed again, and Will Tschetter got in on the contagious, 3-pointer action, pushing the lead to 21. Cadeau finally broke the makes from deep, and Wagler hit to cut the lead back to 18 with 5:41 remaining.
Illinois couldn’t mount a comeback, and Michigan won, 84-70. Here are our five takeaways.
Homecoming for Morez Johnson Jr.
An Illinois native who spent his first year with the Illini, the Orange Krush did as much as it could to make it uncomfortable for the outgoing transfer. However, it wasn’t the case, as Johnson was often the best player on the floor.
He was the only Michigan basketball player in double digits at halftime, with 13 points, five rebounds, and a steal, and he was something of an energizer bunny out on the floor for the Wolverines. There were no qualms for Johnson returning to his old stomping ground, as he played one of his best games in a maize and blue uniform.
Johnson was quiet in the second half, but the damage was done, and it makes his former teammate’s pregame comments more prescient:
What could have been.
Johnson finished with a double-double, scoring 19 points and netting 11 rebounds.
Michigan’s offense outplays Illinois’ offense
As noted, the Illini entered the game with the No. 1 overall offense, while the Wolverines were No. 5. Yet, when the rubber hit the road, it was the maize and blue who had the superior offensive attack, managing to shoot 52.5% overall and 60% in the second half. Illinois managed 41.3% and 43.3% respectively.
The Michigan defense forced Illinois to go through a series of uncomfortable stretches in the second half, with multiple three-minute droughts from the floor. And Illinois, which is accustomed to getting to the foul line, couldn’t seem to draw many fouls until relatively late in the game. Even when the Illini forced three Wolverine turnovers late, they couldn’t seem to take advantage.
Ultimately, Michigan was dominant on both ends of the floor.
Bench, fastbreak, and points in the paint
The Wolverines dominated all three categories, finishing the game with 20 bench points, 10 fastbreak points, and 42 points in the paint. We already discussed Johnson and his homecoming, but we cannot leave out Aday Mara, who was just such a mismatch for Michigan vs. the Illini. As noted, Mara really flexed late in the game, taking it over. He was the catalyst for most of these stats.
Meanwhile, Illinois only had 7 bench points, 1 fastbreak point, and was just behind Michigan with 32 points in the paint.
The streak was emphatically broken
As we said in the open, the Illini had beaten the Wolverines nine straight times. Even the Fab Five couldn’t beat Illinois in Champaign, as the maize and blue have historically struggled at State Farm Arena. Though it took some time for the Wolverines to flex, flex they did, and this was as emphatic of a win as Michigan had all season.
The final score may have been just a 14-point gulf, but honestly, the game wasn’t really that close (and it hadn’t been for most of the final 10 minutes). This was a huge win for the Wolverines, one that’s been years in the making. If not decades.
With the win over Illinois, Michigan has won the outright Big Ten regular-season title.
No. 1 overall seed back in the realm of possibility
It may come down to the Big Ten Tournament now that Michigan has lost the head-to-head with Duke. And the Blue Devils’ 54-point win over Notre Dame pushed them into the No. 1 NET ranking, stealing it away from the maize and blue. But with a win over the No. 4 NET-ranked Illini, the Wolverines have the second-best win in college basketball (behind Duke, of course). They also have wins over No. 5 Gonzaga, No. 7 Purdue, No. 11 MSU, No. 12 Nebraska, and will face No. 26 Iowa on the road next week.
There’s a strong case for the maize and blue to have the No. 1 overall seed given the levels of domination over most all of the aforementioned teams.
WADSWORTH, Ill. (WLS) — Two people who were killed in a head-on crash involving a semi in the north suburbs on Thursday morning have been identified, officials said on Friday.
The Lake County sheriff’s deputies and the Newport Township Fire Protection District responded to the Route 173 crash, which happened west of North Kilbourne Road in Wadsworth, around 7:50 a.m.
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Witnesses told investigators that the driver of a 2009 Acura sedan, which was traveling eastbound, appeared to be having difficulty staying in his lane and drifted into the path of a Freightliner semi-truck, which was heading westbound.
The two vehicles then collided head-on, officials said. A third vehicle was also hit.
Chopper 7 was over the scene at 9 a.m., capturing the damage.
The sedan’s driver, a man, and a passenger, a woman, were pronounced dead on the scene.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office identified them as 51-year-old Kelly Wooten and 45-year-old Jacklyn Bradley of Stoughton, Wisconsin. Preliminary autopsy results indicate that both Wooten and Bradley died from blunt-force injuries.
The driver of the third vehicle, a 54-year-old Salem, Wisconsin woman, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The crash shut down Route 173 between Kilbourne Road and U.S. 41 in both directions.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team is investigating.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
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