The government on Monday called to the stand a former legislator, who has already served prison time himself.
The former Illinois House speaker is accused of using his position to get Eddie Acevedo two lucrative contracts that did not require him to do any work.
Former state Rep. Acevedo took the stand as a witness Monday afternoon.
A political ally of then-Speaker Madigan, Acevedo is a reluctant witness, who fought and failed to squash the subpoena issued to compel his testimony.
Acevedo waited patiently Monday morning for the handicap access doors at Dirksen Federal Courthouse to open for him. He then waited several hours more before taking the stand.
Acevedo served six months in prison for tax evasion in 2022, and is being given immunity in exchange for his testimony.
Mike Madigan trial live updates: Former state Rep. Acevedo to testify in ex-speaker trial
The government alleges the former assistant majority leader, who left the general assembly in 2017, used his relationship with Madigan to receive two no-work contracts: one from ComEd and one from AT&T, worth over $140,000.
Those contracts, prosecutors say, were bribes given in exchange for the speaker's legislative help in Springfield.
On the stand earlier, former Madigan aide and AT&T contract lobbyist Tom Cullen, whose contract Acevedo was under, testified he never saw any real work from Acevedo, saying that a report he had been assigned to write "was just kind of a joke."
Acevedo's testimony continued Monday evening, and will continue into Tuesday, when the government might rest its case against Madigan.
Madigan and co-defendant McClain face bribery and racketeering charges.
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