* Tribune…

A former top aide to ex-Speaker Michael Madigan on Monday continued his testimony as a government witness against his old boss – but for much of his cross-examination sounded a lot like a defense witness, bolstering their portrayal of Madigan’s operation as hardworking, constituent-focused and straightforward.

Thomas Cullen, who worked for the Speaker’s office in the 1990s and maintained close ties with Madigan staffers after becoming a lobbyist, began his cross-examination from Madigan’s attorneys by confirming that Madigan’s office followed rigorous rules separating political work from government work. And he testified that he did political work out of a love of the game – not because of political pressure from the Speaker. […]

Cullen testified Monday that he never saw any work from Acevedo, and that a report Acevedo was assigned to write became an inside joke between him and the AT&T brass.

Why?

“Because it was not viewed as some report that was worth anything really,” Cullen said. “It was just kind of a joke”

* Center Square…

Acevedo could take the stand later Monday to testify under an immunity agreement.

Cullen said the $22,500 that AT&T paid to Acevedo in 2017 and 2018 was “a lot more” than what such lobbying work would have cost. He said Acevedo’s assignment to write a report about the state’s Latino caucus was to justify payments to him in case someone questioned the financial arrangement.

Cullen also testified that he was unaware of any work Acevedo produced for AT&T and that Acevedo didn’t ask for assignments.

Prosecutors allege that ComEd and AT&T Illinois gave out no-work or little-work jobs and contract work to those loyal to Madigan to get legislation passed that would benefit the companies in Springfield. A jury convicted four former ComEd executives and lobbyists last year in a related trial, and ComEd itself agreed to pay $200 million in fines as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with prosecutors.

* Madigan’s attorney Todd Pugh on cross…

Pugh also noted through his questions that, when McClain reached out to Cullen about money for Quinn, McClain made a comment about what he'd "dreamt up."

— Jon Seidel (@SeidelContent) December 16, 2024

Cullen is done.
AT&T exec Deno Perdiou is being recalled now. His face looks like he went 10 rounds with Ali in his prime

— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) December 16, 2024

* More…

* Tribune | With prosecutors set to rest in Madigan corruption trial, tapes will help jury take measure of the man: Jurors have seen the powerful House Speaker and Democratic Party leader at his shrewdest and most calculating: coldly green-lighting the ouster of an longtime House ally to deflect a growing sexual harassment scandal; subtly using the power of his office to vie for private legal business; and allegedly conspiring with his longtime confidant, Michael McClain, to steer hundreds of thousands of dollars in do-nothing consulting contracts to a cadre of loyalists.

* AP | Secretly recorded videos are backbone of corruption trial for longest-serving legislative leader: In one 2014 meeting secretly recorded by a businessman also working undercover, a City Council member introduced Madigan to hotel developers for a Chinatown project. Madigan pitched his firm’s business. “We’re not interested in a quick killing here. We’re interested in a long-term relationship,” Madigan said. “In terms of the quality of representation that you get from this law firm, we don’t take a second seat to anybody. “

* CBS Chicago | Reporter Ray Long on Madigan trial ending: Chicago Tribune reporter Ray Long joined Dana Kozlov as the Madigan trial comes to an end.

* NPR | FBI recordings in the Michael Madigan trial are outlining an alleged Chinatown corruption scheme