* WTTW…

After a Michael Madigan ally was fired amid sexual harassment allegations, the former Illinois House speaker’s longtime confidant Michael McClain allegedly sought to collect and conceal payments for that ally under the guise he’d be doing actual work.

Jurors in Michael Madigan’s corruption trial on Thursday heard recorded phone conversations in which McClain detailed his plans to collect money for former Madigan staffer Kevin Quinn through job contracts to make it appear he was being paid for real work “in case the IRS checked us out.” […]

Hours before [Madigan staffer Alaina Hampto] went public with her story, Madigan fired Quinn. Jurors were told about “misconduct” allegations against Quinn, but the specific details were not presented in court following a pretrial ruling by U.S. District Judge John Blakey.

Hampton is set to testify next week, but prosecutors presented evidence Thursday allegedly showing McClain arranged for multiple people to make consulting payments to Quinn because he was unable to find a job after being fired.

* Courthouse News…

Both Wednesday and Thursday were short trial days, and Madigan’s defense team only managed to get in one hour of cross-examination before Blakey dismissed jurors at 2 p.m. Thursday for Halloween. In the time he had, Madigan’s attorney Dan Collins attempted to deflate the prosecution’s narrative over how much influence Madigan and his cabinet wielded.

He pointed out that when FEJA came up for a House floor vote in late 2016, multiple Democrats voted ‘no’ on it. He also noted that House Republicans would sub their own representatives off committees, and that it was far from a rare occurrence.

“There was nothing unusual about it, is that fair?” Collins asked Cousineau.

“That’s fair,” he answered.

* Tribune…

Publicly, Madigan said there was no place on his team for such behavior. Behind the scenes, however, an effort to kick Quinn some money in his time of need was allegedly being organized by Madigan’s closest confidant, Michael McClain. [..]

But with the heat on, even Madigan couldn’t openly help Quinn until after his re-election as speaker was secure, McClain told Cousineau. The plan, as McClain put it on the Aug. 28, 2018, call, was to quietly recruit a few trusted people to pay Quinn for little to no work, with contracts and paperwork in place to assuage the IRS if they ever came around. […]

Cousineau asked if Quinn would have to register as a lobbyist.

“Oh, no, no, no, this is totally a consultant,” McClain said, and then referred to Madigan by his frequent pseudonym. “And as far as I’m concerned, except for the people signing on, no one else even knows about it except for our friend.”

* Sun-Times…

Neither Madigan nor McClain are accused of sexual harassment. But prosecutors say the Kevin Quinn episode is evidence of Madigan’s criminal enterprise, designed in part to enrich and “reward” his allies.

Defense attorneys made a last-ditch effort Thursday to block it from the trial. Madigan attorney Todd Pugh called it a “purely personal situation” — unlike other allegations that people were paid by ComEd and AT&T Illinois to influence Madigan.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu countered that it’s “dead bang” within the racketeering allegations in Madigan’s indictment. “No question about it,” he said.

Blakey agreed, finding defense claims to the contrary “not supported by the record.”

* More…

* ABC Chicago | Judge denies defense motion to exclude some evidence in former IL House Speaker Mike Madigan trial: Cousineau’s voice cracked under cross-examination Thursday, as Madigan’s attorney’s asked if he’d developed a personal bond with his former boss. His intense loyalty was on full display, as the jury got to hear several phone calls during which he and Madigan co-defendant Mike McClain discussed ways to protect the then-speaker and help his allies amid growing scandal.

* ABC Chicago | Jury learns of ‘magic list’ of Madigan supporters: The jury learned about a “magic list” of Madigan supporters. Mike McClain drafted a “magic list” of people who had helped Madigan. Will Cousineau admitted he saw it with a letterhead of the Talbot Hotel in Chicago. It was handwritten.