* Capitol News Illinois…

The former chief lobbyist for electric utility Commonwealth Edison has spent the last week telling a federal jury how he bent over backward to accommodate hiring requests from former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Led by the prosecutor questioning him, ComEd exec-turned-cooperating witness Fidel Marquez repeatedly said he and other utility leaders agreed to hire or contract with the powerful speaker’s allies in order for Madigan “to be more positively disposed toward ComEd’s legislative agenda.”

But on Tuesday, an attorney for Madigan co-defendant Mike McClain, ComEd’s longest-serving contract lobbyist, began his cross-examination of Marquez by drilling down on his previous testimony – and his guilty plea in 2020 for bribery conspiracy.

“Are you not saying and are you not testifying at this trial that in your mind, the purpose of this conspiracy was to trade jobs at ComEd for Mike Madigan taking action?” Cotter asked, referring to action Madigan is alleged to have taken on legislation ComEd pushed in Springfield.

“I said it was to consider ComEd’s agenda favorably,” Marquez said.

* WTTW…

Madigan had previously been “hostile” toward electrical utilities like ComEd — Marquez testified he knew the speaker “didn’t like” the company — but through his relationship with McClain, he came to have a “favorable disposition” toward ComEd’s legislative agenda.

“It was part of Mike’s job to do everything he could to have the best communication between the speaker and his staff, and ComEd?” Cotter asked Marquez.

“Yes,” he replied.

“It made sense, did it not … that Mike McClain spent an enormous amount of time on Speaker Madigan?” Cotter asked.

“Yes,” Marquez answered.

* Center Square…

McClain defense attorney Patrick Cotter asked Marquez about several pieces of legislation that affected ComEd.

Cotter played a recording of McClain talking with Marquez and then-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore in 2018 about a plan to kill a low-income bill that ComEd opposed. In the recording, McClain suggested including vendors, unions and municipal leaders. Marquez admitted that, during the call, none of the participants asked to include Madigan.

Cotter also asked Marquez about favors and job recommendations. Earlier, Marquez had described requests from McClain that ComEd hire individuals that Madigan wanted the utility to hire.

Marquez testified that ComEd also considered job recommendations from then-Senate Majority Leader John Cullerton, D-Chicago, and then-Illinois State Rep. Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs.

* Sun-Times…

Prosecutors have gone to great lengths to show constant communication between Madigan and McClain through secret FBI recordings and testimony from various witnesses. But Cotter noted that it was McClain’s job, as a lobbyist, to know what special interests motivated Madigan, as well as the political dynamics at any one time.

“The amount of attention that a lobbyist spends or gives to an elected official is often based on how important that official is, in the political sense?” Cotter asked, making note of Madigan’s vast power over the Legislature at the time.

“That may be a factor,” Marquez said.

Cotter also confirmed with Marquez that, as vice president of external and governmental affairs, Marquez was “ultimately in charge of all the lobbyists” at ComEd. That would theoretically include a group of Madigan allies paid as subcontractors through a ComEd contract with Doherty.

* Tribune…

As Marquez’s direct examination wrapped up Tuesday, prosecutors showed another slew of emails and recordings in which McClain pushed ComEd to hire people with political connections.

Madigan seemed particularly interested in getting a job for Vanessa Berrios, daughter of then-Cook County Democratic boss Joseph Berrios. The speaker apparently first floated the idea to McClain in a December 2018 phone call, which was played for jurors.

“My thought was that there might be a place for her at ComEd,” Madigan told McClain.

In the ensuing months, McClain emailed Marquez at least twice about getting ComEd to hire Berrios, who had worked for her father when he headed the Cook County assessor’s office.

Berrios ultimately was offered an interview with ComEd, Marquez testified Tuesday, but declined.