Illinois
Veteran Illinois lawmaker tells ComEd bribery trial jurors that Madigan ruled ‘through fear and intimidation’
Jurors in ComEd bribery trial will hear greater than 100 recordings, federal prosecutors say
Federal prosecutors instructed jurors Wednesday they might hear greater than 100 recordings over the subsequent a number of weeks, because the wide-ranging case in opposition to 4 allies of former Illinois Home Speaker Michael Madigan kicked off in earnest with opening statements.
CHICAGO – A veteran Democratic state lawmaker who sponsored main gaming laws within the Illinois Home of Representatives instructed a federal jury Monday that former Speaker Michael Madigan as soon as dominated that chamber “by worry and intimidation.”
When requested what Madigan valued most in different legislators, state Rep. Robert “Bob” Rita answered, “loyalty.”
And earlier than the trial of 4 former political energy gamers broke for the day, the Blue Island Democrat cited the case of a fellow Democrat who dared facet with Republicans — solely to have Madigan’s group activate him in an election.
Rita took the stand solely 40 minutes earlier than testimony ended for the day. He’s anticipated to renew his testimony Tuesday and additional clarify his feedback about Madigan.
Rita’s testimony got here in the course of the trial of Madigan confidant Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and onetime Metropolis Membership President Jay Doherty. The 4 are accused of arranging for jobs, contracts and cash for Madigan’s associates whereas laws essential to ComEd moved by Springfield.
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Madigan resigned from the legislature in 2021 and faces a separate racketeering indictment. His trial is ready for April 2024.
Former Speaker Michael Madigan’s racketeering trial set for April 2024
The extremely anticipated racketeering trial of former Illinois Home Speaker Michael J. Madigan has been set for April 1, 2024.
Like former state Rep. Lou Lang, who took the stand final week, Rita’s testimony is predicted to additional underscore the notion that McClain acted as an agent for Madigan and handed alongside the speaker’s calls for. When requested who, exterior Madigan’s senior employees, had a detailed relationship with Madigan, Rita named McClain who served within the legislature many years in the past.
Rita known as McClain a “former member of the Home, and a lobbyist, and a buddy [of Madigan’s].”
He additionally defined to jurors how, after onetime Democratic state Rep. Ken Dunkin sided with Republicans on key votes, the Madigan-led Democratic Occasion of Illinois efficiently ran a candidate in opposition to him, forcing him out of workplace.
Rita has been often called a fixer of kinds in Springfield for taking over powerful points and getting them over the end line. That was definitely the case in 2020, when he helped shepherd the measure that cleared the way in which for a Chicago on line casino — a feat many years within the making.
Rita is now an assistant majority chief within the Illinois Home.
Federal prosecutors hoped to have Rita testify about McClain’s function within the gaming laws. They alleged in a courtroom submitting that Rita met with the speaker in his workplace in 2013, the place Madigan instructed Rita that Rita would sponsor a significant gaming invoice. When the assembly ended, Madigan walked Rita out of his workplace and McClain was standing close to the doorway.
Madigan pointed to McClain and stated “he’ll information you,” in line with the feds.
However U.S. District Decide Harry Leinenweber barred prosecutors Monday from moving into the subject, on the request of protection attorneys. As a substitute, Rita is prone to testify concerning the affect that McClain — a ComEd lobbyist — had on the passage of one other invoice Rita sponsored: the Future Power Jobs Act, or FEJA.
FEJA is among the key items of laws at problem within the trial.
Rita’s testimony capped a broader day of testimony Monday, during which jurors additionally heard recordings of Madigan complaining about former Senate President John Cullerton, and a ComEd govt discussing how FEJA and different laws turned the utility’s funds round.
In a recorded cellphone name from Sept. 5, 2018, McClain mentioned with Madigan a “silly Cullerton transfer,” which apparently concerned anti-Madigan political advertisements from Senate Democrats. It occurred two months earlier than the election during which Democrat J.B. Pritzker efficiently challenged then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican.
“It is a common election,” Madigan complained. “That is the time to be in opposition to the Republicans.”
McClain instructed him on the recording that “you’re extra of [a] road fighter than anyone is aware of, aside from perhaps guys like me. And if you wish to put the squeeze on the man, you might damage him fairly badly.”
“Yeah. Yeah, alright. I’ll give it some thought,” Madigan instructed him.
Scott Vogt, vice chairman of technique and vitality coverage for ComEd, additionally testified Monday. He defined that ComEd’s funds had been in “dire” form previous to the passage of the Power Infrastructure and Modernization Act in 2011, in addition to FEJA in 2016. The payments helped ComEd extra reliably predict the charges they may cost clients.
Vogt estimated the worth of FEJA to ComEd at $1.8 billion, and he stated the payments helped take ComEd from a low level of earnings in 2006 or 2007 to “highest earnings on document in 2022.”
Vogt additionally instructed jurors he was typically accustomed to the faces of ComEd’s many lobbyists in Springfield. However then prosecutors confirmed him photographs of 4 Madigan associates paid by ComEd by a third-party agency, supposedly as lobbyists.
Requested if he’d seen them earlier than, Vogt repeatedly stated, “not that I recall.”