Trial expected to last months
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The corruption trial for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has begun.
Madigan had been indicted on federal racketeering and bribery charges as a part of what federal prosecutors call "the Madigan enterprise," where they say he allegedly committed crimes for his personal gain and that of his political allies.
The blockbuster trial is expected to take several months.
Check back with ABC7 Chicago for live updates.
Former Ald. Daniel Solis took the stand Thursday.
Solis has played a role in multiple federal prosecutions.
Solis' testimony is one of the most anticipated in the corruption case against Madigan.
The former alderman turned government mole eight years ago while still in City Council, recording many of his conversations with the then-speaker. In exchange for his help, Solis cut a deferred prosecution deal to avoid prison time for his own political misdeeds.
Solis took the stand Thursday for the first time as a government witness.
Evidence he collected led to Alderman Ed Burke's own corruption trial and conviction last year, but prosecutors at the time never called him to testify. Though, the defense did.
Solis' cooperation with the government began in mid-2016, when he was the chair of the powerful Zoning Committee in City Council. During his time as a government mole, Solis recorded his conversations with a variety of public officials, including Madigan.
FBI Special Agent Ryan McDonald said on the stand Thursday afternoon investigators focused in on the speaker in 2017, after Solis recorded a meeting during which Madigan was heard asking Solis to introduce him to the developers of a high-rise apartment building in the West Loop called Union West.
Madigan said he would like to get their property tax business directed to his law firm, Madigan and Getzendanner.
Over the time of his cooperation, the FBI directed Solis to engage Madigan on various topics, including the possible re-development of a Chinatown parking lot and the redevelopment of the Old Post Office Building.
In each one, Solis was meant to lure Madigan in with the promise of getting business steered toward his law firm.
The indictment accuses Madigan of using his position as speaker to unlawfully steer business to his law firm, with his co-defendant, Mike McClain, carrying out illegal activity at Madigan's direction.
In turning government mole, Solis became only the second-ever sitting alderman to do so.
His testimony is expected to go well into next week, and could extend even further because of the upcoming holiday.
Court resumes Monday.
The Madigan trial will extend into January, the judge said Monday.
The trial is running at least two weeks longer than expected, with an end date likely not coming before the middle of January.
The Madigan trial will extend into January, the judge said Monday.
The trial is running at least two weeks longer than expected, with an end date likely not coming before the middle of January.
Janet Gallegos gave details Monday on a contract between Jay Doherty and Exelon/ComEd to pay subcontractors Frank Olivo, Ray Nice, Edward Moody and Michael Zalewski.
The men were paid on a monthly basis after ComEd paid Doherty, she said.
Gallegos was also given instructions from Doherty regarding the contract renewals and the amounts, she said.
The contracts were allegedly approved by Fidel Marquez, John Hooker and Anne Pramaggiore.
Gallegos also explained how the ComEd payments increased or decreased to reflect the subcontractors who were being added or dropped.
In 2018, the terms for ComEd's contract renewals changed. There was a new system in place.
ComEd's Eric Duray requested additional information regarding the specific scope of work for services they were providing to ComEd.
At one point, Zalewski emailed Gallegos regarding a delay in his payment.
In an email to Gallegos on April 3, 2019, he said that he would be meeting with a "mutual friend," who he knew was "going to ask" about the ComEd money.
He asked if he should bring up the delay.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker asked if she knew who the mutual friend was that he was referring to.
Gallegos said, "no."
Jay Doherty's & Associates administrative assistant Janet Gallegos took the stand Monday afternoon.
Two more significant witnesses are expected Monday.
They are Madigan's 13th Ward precinct captain, who would be dispatched across the state to door-knock during difficult campaigns.
He was the beneficiary of one of the alleged ComEd jobs and later was appointed as Cook County commissioner.
The other is Juan Ochoa, who was close with Luis Gutierrez and Chuy Garcia. It was because of those connections that Madigan directly recommended him to be on the ComEd Board.
He served only briefly because, within a year, Madigan was indicted.
Former Alderman Daniel Solis is also expected to testify this week.
The morning was spent picking up where the trial left off Thursday.
Prosecutors have essentially called one FBI agent for each of the search warrants executed on the homes/offices of Mike McClain, Jay Doherty, Shaw Decremer, Ray Nice, Frank Olivo, Ed Moody and more.
These are the recipients of alleged no-work jobs from Madigan and the lobbyists who placed them on their payrolls.
The whole purpose has been to introduce into evidence all sorts of documents, including paystubs and invoices for the alleged no-work jobs, which, according to the FBI's fraud accountant, ran $1.3 million between 2012 and 2019.
Prosecutors say Moody was paid $354,750 between 2012 and 2018; Olivo was paid $368,000 from 2011-2019; Nice was paid $415,000 2012-2019; Michael Zalewski was paid $45,000 2018-2019 and Edward Acevedo received $120,000 2017-2019.
FBI Special Agent Austin Varga, who executed search warrant at Moody's residence on May 14, 2019, testified first.
Private investigator Edward McNamara was next..
He executed a search at Mike McClain's home and vehicle.
FBI Special Agent Anna Olin next spoke on the search warrant at Shaw Decremer's multi-unit condominium on May 14, 2019.
FBI Special Agent Katharine Heide spoke before the lunch break.
Attorneys also addressed some code of conduct concerns at the beginning of the day.
