Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Roundup: Madigan corruption trial
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
Roundup: Madigan corruption trial

Friday, Nov 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Tribune

Jurors in the corruption trial of former House Speaker Michael Madigan on Thursday heard a wiretapped phone call in which the speaker’s longtime confidant laid out his rather old-school worldview when it came to political hiring recommendations.

It was May 23, 2018, and Michael McClain was talking to Madigan’s son, Andrew, about his frustration that representatives of a gas utility were complaining they were being pressured to hire someone recommended by the speaker as part of the state’s entrenched pay-to-play system.

“That’s what happens when you’re in this game,” McClain said on the call, which was being secretly recorded by the FBI. “And you never know, maybe someday you can ask for a favor, so. I mean, that’s how this is, you can’t be offended with that. Oh, so you got pressure too? Are you kidding me?”

Later in the same call, McClain continued his diatribe, saying, “I just love these people.”

* Sun-Times

McClain called Madigan’s son that evening to tell him about the chat with Marquez. McClain said “that’s how the sys[tem], it is, you can’t be offended with that. Oh, so you got pressure too, are you kidding me? Yeah, we got pressure. Okay, okay.”

Madigan’s son said, “that’s funny” and told McClain he appreciated the call. “It’s not easy working with people,” he added. […]

“Yeah, I mean, it’d be easier if everybody would just obey right?” McClain said.

Moments after he played that call in court Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu began the task of walking jurors through a mountain of emails that showed McClain’s relentless pressure on ComEd to hire people, allegedly at Michael Madigan’s behest.

* Capitol News Illinois

But on Thursday, jurors got a glimpse of Marquez’s overflowing inbox as prosecutors took him through nearly 80 email exhibits related to job and internship requests for everyday people, mostly from Madigan’s 13th Ward power base on Chicago’s Southwest Side.

McClain could be relentless in his requests, sometimes refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer, even when Marquez told him that an applicant was rejected by a certain ComEd department because he or she was unqualified.

The jury saw three months’ worth of emails about one applicant who, Marquez told McClain, didn’t have the minimum qualifications for even an entry-level analyst job . Still, Marquez secured the candidate an interview for ComEd’s IT support team in the winter of 2014 after McClain told him Madigan “asks about him every week.”

But it didn’t go well.

In addition to lacking technical skills, the applicant didn’t even have the sort of “soft skills that might compensate,” ComEd’s vice president for IT told Marquez in an email.

* WTTW

“Attached is a request for a person to work in our legal department this year,” McClain wrote in an April 16, 2013 email to Marquez, “He will not learn very much and he will not be able to contribute much, if anything, but that is still the ask.”

That “ask,” McClain explained in the email, had come from “our friend” — a reference to Madigan. Other applicants were also suggested by 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn, according to Marquez.

“I have to say that generally Fidel tells me that the company is very happy with the quality and work ethic of the individuals you sponsor,” McClain wrote to Quinn in a Feb. 23 2016 email. “Kudos to the 13th Ward!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

According to Marquez, ComEd eventually expanded the number of spots it reserved for 13th Ward applicants from six up to 10.

* Center Square

In another email, McClain asked Marquez to accept an internship candidate with a 1.1 grade-point average, even though Marquez wrote, “I don’t think our standards are that low.”

When McClain read that the student’s GPA was 1.1, he responded in an email, “Holy Mackerel! Even mine was higher than that.”

Marquez also testified about job candidates that McClain, at Madigan’s request, had asked ComEd to hire. Marquez said he agreed to take one candidate into his organization even though the candidate “bombed” an initial interview.

Marquez wore a recording device to a meeting with McClain and recently named ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez on March 5, 2019. During the recorded conversation, McClain explained how ComEd would hire people chosen by Madigan in the days when the utility company still used workers to read meters.

       

7 Comments »
  1. - Donnie Elgin - Friday, Nov 8, 24 @ 10:43 am:

    “That “ask,” McClain explained in the email, had come from “our friend” — a reference to Madigan…When McClain read that the student’s GPA was 1.1, he responded in an email, “Holy Mackerel! Even mine was higher than that.”

    MJM and McClain were the most senior and experienced politician/lobbyist in Illinois; they wielded power and were feared - but did not act in good faith on behalf of the electorate. Whether they are found guilty or not this trial highlights for me at least, why the political class has such low favorability ratings.


  2. - Lincoln Lad - Friday, Nov 8, 24 @ 11:04 am:

    Doesn’t it clearly make sense for MJM to save himself by burying McClain? Tell the jury that McClain was operating under some godfather-like illusions and was doing things in a fantasy world of his own making? Listening to the recordings sure makes that sound plausible.


  3. - Rich Miller - Friday, Nov 8, 24 @ 11:12 am:

    ===save himself by burying McClain? ===

    That’s why he wanted to be tried separately. But if he does it now, in a joint trial, McClain could turn on him.


  4. - Lincoln Lad - Friday, Nov 8, 24 @ 1:13 pm:

    McClain can’t turn on the boss- you take the fall for the boss. Standard gangster stuff… that’s the world he wants to live in. No witness protection, you can’t be a rat. The family will find you or those close to you. Instead take the fall and do your time. The family will take care of your family while you’re inside playing cards. /s


  5. - low level - Friday, Nov 8, 24 @ 1:25 pm:

    == The jury saw three months’ worth of emails about one applicant who, Marquez told McClain, didn’t have the minimum qualifications for even an entry-level analyst job==

    == McClain asked Marquez to accept an internship candidate with a 1.1 grade-point average==

    This is what I have an issue with. Im old school enough to go with patronage, but make sure the applicant is qualified and can do the job first. If not, dont move forward.

    As for McClain, who at one point says not to put anything in writing, he sure put a lot in writing.


  6. - DuPage Saint - Friday, Nov 8, 24 @ 1:46 pm:

    Well to be fair was that 1.1 on a 4 or 5 point scale?


  7. - Politics as usual - Friday, Nov 8, 24 @ 2:55 pm:

    “ComEd eventually expanded the number of spots it reserved for 13th Ward applicants from six up to 10.” “McClain explained how ComEd would hire people chosen by Madigan in the days when the utility company still used workers to read meters.” I’ll be honest I expected to hear and see evidence of millions of $ changing hands and not trying to allow for 10 “applicants” from the 13 ward for meter reading. Doesn’t seem all that corrupt.


TrackBack URI

Uncivil comments, profanity of any kind, rumors and anonymous commenters will not be tolerated and will likely result in banishment.



* Reader comments closed for the weekend
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* The Waukegan City Clerk was railroaded
* Whatever happened, the city has a $40 million budget hole it didn't disclose until now
* Manar gives state agencies budget guidance: Cut, cut, cut
* Roundup: Ex-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis testifies in Madigan corruption trial
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Live coverage
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller