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

The government is expected to formally rest Wednesday.

There have been 38 days of testimony over eight and a half weeks.

But, the trial is far from over.

The spotlight now turns to the defense teams of Michael Madigan and his co-defendant, Mike McClain.

Once the government formally rests, McClain's defense team is to be first up.

It's unclear how much of a defense either man will present, with neither Madigan nor McClain expected to take the stand in their own defense.

The government was expected to rest its case Tuesday.

Former state Rep. Eddie Acevedo took the stand again Tuesday.

He was asked about his employment with AT&T, and whether he had done work in exchange for a more than $22,000 contract given to him in 2017.

Acevedo, who says he has dementia, replied that he "did not remember."

After the government rests its case, Madigan's defense team will have its turn.

Former state Rep. Eddie Acevedo took the stand Monday afternoon.

It is week 11 in Michael Madigan's bribery trial.

The former Illinois House speaker is accused of using his position to get Acevedo two lucrative contracts that did not require him to do any work.

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.

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.

Thomas Cullen took the stand Wednesday. He is a lobbyist.

He worked for Speaker Madigan from 1987-1999. He also worked with the Illinois Democratic Party.

Cullen said he's testifying pursuant to a subpoena.

During his testimony, Cullen said AT&T requested that he add former State Rep. Eddie Acevedo as a sub-contractor to his lobbying firm, Cullen, Inc., but he was reluctant to do so.

Court will resume on Monday for the Madigan trial.