(The Center Square) – U.S. District Court Judge Harry Leinenweber sided with “ComEd 4 trial” defense attorneys late Wednesday when he ruled jurors would not hear former longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan marvel at the way some of his closes associates “have made out like bandits.”
The longest serving legislative leader in U.S. history turned heads earlier this year with his musings, and all this week attorneys for four defendants now on trial in the “ComEd 4” federal corruption trial have been doing all they can to keep his words from drawing even more attention.
As part of the daylong proceedings, Leinenweber reaffirmed his earlier decision to keep Madigan’s comments out.
Longtime Madigan confidante and Commonwealth Edison lobbyist Michael McClain, onetime ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and former City Club President Jay Doherty are all on trial facing charges of conspiring to steer some $1.3 million in cash, jobs and contracts to associates of Madigan in exchange for his support in Springfield on legislation deemed to be favorable to the company.
Each of the four has pleaded not guilty, as has Madigan, who, in a separate case that is expected to go to trail sometime in the spring of 2024, faces a 23-count indictment that includes racketeering, bribery and official misconduct charges.
On Wednesday, prosecutors highlighted for jurors ComEd’s code of conduct for employees and how much of what the four defendants are accused of fell short of upholding those standards.
Prosecutors told jurors in a raid of Doherty’s Streeterville home Federal Bureau of Investigation agents took possession of a trove of evidence that included emails, invoices, text messages and a voicemail now entered into evidence where one-time Cook County official and longtime Madigan precinct captain Ed Moody tells Doherty that it was the Speaker’s suggestion that the two connect.
Though he hasn’t been formally charged, as part of their indictment prosecutors point to the way Moody regularly received monthly payments from ComEd as a subcontractor on Doherty’s consulting and lobbyist firm, even though no record can be found of any work he actually performed.
FBI agents also searched the Quincy home of McClain, walking away with his phone and computer records revealing that he and Madigan had as many as 27 dinner dates scheduled over a yearlong period through April 2019. Prosecutors highlighted that one of the meetings was scheduled just 48-hours after the May 16, 2019, raids had taken place.
With the case now in its fourth week, prosecutors told the judge they hope to conclude with presenting evidence sometime over the next week.
