Mike Madigan trial updates: Government expected to rest Wednesday in ex-speaker trial

A former Chicago alderman was back on the witness stand in the trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan Monday at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.

Danny Solis wore a wire and made video recordings for federal investigators.

On Monday, some of the crucial recordings were played for the jury.

Until now, the trial has essentially been a rerun of last year's ComEd Four trial, which resulted in the conviction of four ComEd executives for their parts in a scheme to bribe the former speaker.

As of Monday, however, with former 25th Ward Alderman Solis on the stand, a new chapter begins.

It's one which saw a sitting alderman turn government mole for only the second time in Chicago history.

Returning to court for his first full day of testimony, Solis told jurors how, by June of 2017, he had been wearing a wire for the FBI for over a year, as he recorded his conversations with fellow Alderman Ed Burke, among other public officials.

Madigan, however, was not one of them, until a day when Madigan reached out asking for an introduction to the developers of Union West, an apartment building project, which eventually went up in the West Loop. Ten days later, with the FBI listening in, an exchange took place.

"I think they understand they've got some issues, that they still have to deal with me, in terms of zoning. And I think they understand how this works, you know, the quid pro quo, the quid pro quo," Solis said.

Madigan said, "OK."

At the time of the call, then-Speaker Madigan was a partner in one of the city's top tax law firms, Madigan & Getzendanner.

Madigan is accused of illegally using his position in Springfield to steer business to it.

Solis' testimony, which began in earnest Monday, is expected to center around three different instances of this happening, including the West Loop Project, as well as the possible redevelopment of a Chinatown parking lot into a hotel.

And while Madigan later reprimanded Solis for his use of the words "quid pro quo," he did not walk away from the in-person meeting with the Union West developers, one which was also recorded.

"You shouldn't be talking like that," Madigan told Solis shortly before the meeting started. "You're just recommending our law firm because if they don't get a good result on their real estate taxes, the whole project will be in trouble."

"Absolutely, absolutely, yeah," Solis said.

Anticipating the multiple attacks to Solis' credibility defense attorneys will likely make, prosecutors spent a significant portion of the morning going through the two-year investigation the FBI conducted on the former alderman before getting him to turn government informant.

It's an investigation that includes an embarrassing laundry list of crimes, from soliciting bribes to acts of prostitution.

The trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan resumes Monday at the Dirksen Federal Court House, downtown.

Madigan is charged with federal racketeering and bribery. Former ComEd lobbyist Mike McLain is also on trial..

The trial is expected to last into January. There will be a shortened week of testimony this week, because of Thanksgiving.

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.

FBI agent Ryan McDonald began his testimony Thursday in the Madigan trial.

He followed former Alderman Michele Smith, who represented Lincoln Park and the Gold Coast.