FBI agents testify on search warrants in former IL House Speaker Mike Madigan trial

Trial expected to stretch into January

ByMichelle Gallardo

Monday, November 18, 2024

FBI agents testify on search warrants in Madigan trial Monday

FBI agents are testifying on search warrants they executed in former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan's federal corruption trial in Chicago.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan continued Monday at the Dirksen Federal Building.

The morning was spent picking up where the trial left off Thursday.

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Going through pages and pages of accounting records, checks and invoices may not make for exciting testimony, but that is how government prosecutors continued to build their corruption case against Madigan and his co-defendant, former lobbyist Michael McClain.

An FBI accountant and fraud analyst walked the jury through the more than $1.3 million in payments the agency uncovered ComEd made between 2011 and 2019 to five men, who performed no work at all for the utility company. All five were former precinct captains or elected officials connected to Madigan.

Prosecutors essentially called one FBI agent for each of the search warrants executed on the homes/offices of McClain, Jay Doherty, Shaw Decremer, Ray Nice, Frank Olivo, Ed Moody and more.

These were the recipients of alleged no-work jobs from Madigan and the lobbyists who placed them on their payrolls.

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.

Those payments were all made through lobbyists, like the already convicted Doherty.

The former City Club president's assistant, Janet Gallegos, testified to the countless invoices and checks she made out related to the men's so-called services over the years.

"What did you talk about with Mr. Olivo?" Assistant U.S Attorney Sarah Streicker asked, in reference to subcontractor and former 13th Ward Alderman Olivo.

"We talked about invoices being received, payments and also family," Gallegos said.

"Did you ever talk to him about any work he was doing?" Streicker asked.

Gallegos said, "no."

Two more significant witnesses were expected Monday.

They were 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 was 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.

They did not end up getting called Monday, however.

Former Alderman Daniel Solis is also expected to testify this week.

As prosecutors near the end of the ComEd portion of the indictment against Madigan, the judge Monday also informed the jury the trial is running at least two weeks longer than expected, with an end date likely not coming before the middle of January.

Last week, current and former ComEd and Exelon employees took the witness stand to speak on the alleged no-work jobs prosecutors say were traded for passing legislation.

Madigan and McClain face bribery and racketeering charges.