By admin 
Illinois politicians past and present have played prominent roles in wiretapped conversations introduced by prosecutors during the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain.
At the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Thursday, government attorneys called nine witnesses and introduced a series of documents, emails and recorded conversations.
In one intake On April 13, 2018, McClain and former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker discussed an election loss by the daughter of then-Senator Martin Sandoval, D-Chicago, who served in the Illinois Senate from 2003 to 2020. Angeles Sandoval ran for a seat on the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 2018, but lost in the Democratic Party primary to Alma Anaya. The incumbent county commissioner, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, had held the seat since 2011, but instead ran for Congress. Garcia was elected and has served as U.S. Representative since January 2019.
“You know, Madigan decides to go with Chuy’s candidate, Anaya?” McClain asked Hooker during the call.
“Yes,” Hooker replied.
“He only has four precincts in the district, and instead of Sandoval and Mike Noonan saying, ‘Okay.’ You know, ‘We understand.’ They started “F-ing” Mike Madigan, so Madigan started calling Mike Zalewski and other committee members. Well, then Sandoval’s daughter loses. And Marty probably doesn’t understand that he did it to himself,” McClain added.
Martin Sandoval pleaded guilty in January 2020 to bribery and filing a false tax return and agreed to cooperate with federal investigators. Martin Sandoval died of COVID-19 on December 5, 2020.
Later, during the same phone call, McClain told Hooker about Madigan’s decisions regarding the City Council seat in Chicago’s 23rd Ward. The councilman at the time was Mike Zalewski, father of then-state Rep. Michael Zalewski, D-Riverside.
“Madigan convinced him he had to resign. And then, just between you and me, Madigan plans to appoint Silvana Tabares as councilwoman,” McClain said on the recording.
“I don’t know who, I don’t know that person,” Hooker said.
“She’s a state representative,” McClain replied.
Then-State Rep. Silvana Tabares, D-Chicago, served in the Statehouse from 2013 to 2018 and was appointed 23rd Ward alderman by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in June 2018.
In one conversation Recorded in July 2018, Madigan asked McClain to help find a job for the wife of state Rep. Jaime Andrade, D-Chicago.
“Jaime Andrade came to me and, same story, he needs money. And he had this thought that maybe I could help his wife with something,” Madigan said during the recording.
In a call included On August 29, 2018, Andrade told McClain that his wife would soon start working in the Illinois Secretary of State’s office. McClain said she would be in a “good division for her.”
“I think it will be in the Securities Division. So she will be under the General Counsel,” McClain said.
“Yes, they will get her, they will have her investigated and inventoried,” Andrade replied.
Andrade expressed his appreciation at the end of the recording.
“Thanks again, Mr. McClain,” Andrade said.
“Yes, it is a very good office. The Speaker jumped all over it, so that’s good,” McClain said.
In February 2019, Madigan asked McClain about being a point of contact for ComEd or Exelon regarding legislation sponsored by state Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago.
“Mike, Ann Williams was here talking about a bill that Exelon would like, and then a bill that the Greens and the environmental people would like, and she’ll probably pass that, and so she expects there to be some big… . negotiating on a large scale, and one of her questions to me was, ‘Well, who’s going to lead the negotiations, you know, who’s going to drive the bus,’ and I didn’t mention your name, but I said that my experience has been that it has been. ComEd was driving the bus,” Madigan told McClain during the call.
“Right,” McClain replied.
“That might be because you came to talk to me. I just always thought of you as ComEd. She wasn’t so sure it would be ComEd because she felt the ComEd request might not be as important as something coming out of Exelon,” Madigan continued.
“Right,” McClain said.
“So my question to you, I was going to call Williams back and tell her, ‘These are the people who are going to foot the bill for the energy sector. Do you have an answer to that?” Madigan asked.
“I can get you one real quick,” McClain replied.
Williams has served in the state House since 2011.
Two of the recordings played Thursday involved conversations between McClain and former state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, who was known to be a longtime ally of Madigan.
Last month, former state Reps. Carol Sente, D-Vernon Hills, Scott Drury, D-Highwood, and Lou Lang, D-Skokie, all spent time on the witness stand during the trial of Madigan and McClain.
Current state Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, testified for 10 minutes on Oct. 24, but has not yet returned for further testimony.
Government attorney Diane MacArthur suggested Wednesday that prosecutors expected to call former Chicago City Councilman Daniel Solis as a cooperating witness next week. Solis was a member of the municipal council from 1996 to 2019.
In the indictment against Madigan and McClain, prosecutors allege that Solis agreed to refer cases to Madigan’s personal law firm, Madigan and Getzendanner, which specializes in challenging real estate tax assessments for his clients. In return, prosecutors allege that “Madigan agreed, in his official capacity as Speaker of the House of Representatives, to assist in advising and persuading the Governor of the State of Illinois to appoint Councilman A to a state board that Councilor A compensation of at least approximately $93,926 per year following Councilor A’s retirement from the City Council.”
Prosecutors allege that Madigan ordered information about board appointments, terms and compensation to be sent to Solis’ office. Solis is referred to as Councilor A throughout the indictment.
According to the indictment, Madigan in turn assured Councilor A that he would help him obtain an appointment to the state board by telling Councilor A, ”Leave it to me.” The indictment further alleges that Madigan agreed to go to the then government. -elected JB Pritzker in December 2018 to recommend that Solis be appointed to a state board.
Pritzker said in 2022 that he could not recall any conversation in which he was asked to find a position for Solis.
Solis testified as a cooperating witness during the corruption trial of former Chicago City Councilman Ed Burke in December 2023. Burke was convicted a short time later on 18 counts of racketeering, bribery, attempted extortion, and conspiracy to commit racketeering and engaging in interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful act. activity.
In June of this year, Burke was sentenced to two years in prison and a $2 million fine.
The government may introduce documents and communications related to a Chicago property that federal agents are calling the “Chinatown package.” The land is located on the northeast corner of Cermak Road and Wentworth Avenue in the city’s Chinatown district. The federal indictment against Madigan and McClain indicates that Solis and Madigan discussed a transfer of the package.
Madigan and McClain face 23 counts of bribery, extortion and official misconduct.
Madigan served as a state representative from 1971 to 2021 and served as Speaker of the Illinois House for all but two years from 1983 to 2021. He was chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois for 23 years.
McClain, is a former state representative, lobbyist and former Madigan aide.
When the court returns from recess on Monday, Madigan’s defense team is expected to give Judge John Robert Blakey an updated estimate of how long the trial will last. Blakey asked stakeholders for revised estimates on Thursday, November 7. The judge suggested the 11-week estimate provided last month was “extremely anomalous”. He said jurors need to be informed so they can plan accordingly.
Greg Bishop, Brett Rowland and Kevin Bessler contributed to this story.