(The Center Square) – Government attorneys have started their final rebuttal at the bribery, racketeering and official misconduct trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in Chicago.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amar Bhachu opened his presentation Wednesday morning by saying, “Last week, Mr. Madigan’s attorney spoke of myth. The charges against Mr. Madigan are not a product of myth.”
“The charges are based on matters of undeniable fact,” Bhachu added.
Bhachu reminded the jury that former Chicago Alderman Frank Olivo, Madigan’s 13th Ward office partner, made more than $300,000 from ComEd between 2011 and 2019 as “a ghost.”
Bhachu said Madigan precinct captain Ray Nice was paid $415,000 for doing nothing, and precinct captain Ed Moody was paid $354,000.
Former Alderman Michael Zalewski was paid $45,000 “for absolutely nothing,” Bhachu said.
In addition, Bhachu said, former state Rep. Edward Acevedo, D-Chicago, was paid 120,000 from ComEd for little-to-no work and 22,500 from AT&T “for doing absolutely nothing.”
Bhachu told the jury that Madigan lied when he testified on the witness stand that McClain never said anything to him between 2011 and 2019 about people Madigan referred who were not working.
Bhachu then displayed the transcript of the “bandits” conversation between Madigan and McClain on August 4, 2018, which prosecutors played for jurors earlier this month.
“Some of these guys have made out like bandits, Mike,” Madigan said during the conversation.
“Oh my God, for very little work, too,” McClain replied.
Bhachu said ghost workers hired at Madigan’s request got paid “a ton of money. We’re talking $1.3 million … That money was paid for nothing in terms of real work,” Bhachu continued.
“It was offered and solicited as a bribe.”
Bhachu said the subcontracts involved secrecy and concealment.
“These guys are not stupid,” Bhachu said of Madigan and McClain.
Bhachu advised the jury to use common sense and draw reasonable inferences from the evidence.
Before the jury entered the courtroom Wednesday morning, Madigan’s attorney Lari Dierks asked Judge John Robert Blakey for a clarification of his instruction regarding official action and the law’s definition of “corruptly.”
Blakey agreed to read instruction 56 a second time but rejected Dierks’ request to ask jurors to disregard their notes.
When the jury entered, Blakey read the entire instruction of more than two pages. He advised jurors twice that all of his instructions were important.
Madigan has pleaded not guilty to 23 corruption-related charges. McClain is charged in six of the 23 counts and has also pleaded not guilty. The judge’s instructions to the jury ask that each defendant be considered separately.
Jury deliberations are expected to begin sometime Wednesday at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse.
