* Capitol News Illinois…
Federal prosecutors continued their closing arguments Wednesday in the trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, accusing the longtime Democratic powerbroker of using Chicago Ald. Danny Solis’ positions of power “to gain private benefits.” […]
“He (Madigan) wanted Solis to reach out the developers because the developers weren’t going to say no to Danny Solis – not when Solis held those cards in his hand as alderman and zoning board chair,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur told the jury in her closing arguments Thursday. […]
MacArthur alleged Madigan chose to ignore Solis’ flagrantly illegal suggestions because he was more concerned with his “desire for private gain,” which she dubbed the “Make Mike Madigan Money Plan.”
That plan, the prosecutor said, stretched to all 23 counts Madigan is charged with, including alleged bribery schemes involving electric utility Commonwealth Edison and telecom giant AT&T Illinois.
* Tribune Courts Reporter Jason Meisner…
* Sun-Times…
MacArthur acknowledged that Solis brings a historic amount of baggage to the table — including allegations of bribery involving campaign contributions, prostitution and Viagra. She told the jury “there is a lot to consider about [Solis] when you assess his credibility. And please do so, with caution and great care.”
But, she told the jury, “Danny Solis was a walking microphone — and sometimes even a sitting camera — when he interacted with Madigan and when he interacted with McClain.”
Madigan testified earlier this month. During cross-examination, he seemed to struggle to explain his continued dealings with Solis after Solis said the words “quid pro quo” in a June 2017 conversation with Madigan about an apartment project in the West Loop.
Solis told Madigan its developers “understand how this works, you know, the quid pro quo.”
“Danny Solis was not subtle,” MacArthur told jurors Thursday.
* Center Square…
Madigan later advised Solis not to talk that way at a meeting that was secretly videotaped on July 18, 2017.
“Three weeks for Madigan to challenge in some way, some form, the words Solis had used,” MacArthur said.
MacArthur said Counts 19-22 against both Madigan and codefendant Michael McClain involve the Chicago Chinatown parcel and land transfer legislation in 2017 and 2018.
“Madigan supported the transfer of this property because he wanted the real estate tax business from the developer,” MacArthur said. “This was a fraud, this was a scheme to defraud.”
MacArthur said it doesn’t matter that the Chinatown project did not move forward.
* Sun-Times Federal Courts Reporter Jon Seidel…
* Tribune…
A few weeks after the land transfer bill passed without the Chinatown amendment, news broke that Solis was a government mole, which put an end to Madigan’s work with him on transferring the Chinatown property, MacArthur said.
Earlier Thursday, the prosecution’s arguments focused on the AT&T and ComEd allegations. Madigan was so important to ComEd’s legislative agenda in Springfield that the utility was willing to bend over backwards to make the then-powerful House speaker happy, showering his cronies with do-nothing contracts, giving special treatment to 13th Ward internship applicants, and putting a Madigan-recommended candidate on its board of directors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz told jurors.
Schwartz played a wiretapped recording in which then-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore told McClain just how valuable the speaker’s influence had been.
“You take good care of me and so does our friend, and I will do the best I can to take care of you,” Pramaggiore said in May 2018, using McClain’s favored euphemism for Madigan.
* Related…
* Tribune | Attorney general: Ex-Speaker Mike Madigan’s chief of staff should forfeit state pension: The legal question before the attorney general’s office was whether Mapes should lose his pension permanently because his grand jury testimony came nearly three years after he was ousted from Madigan’s government and political organizations in 2018 amid a sexual harassment scandal. Under state law, a felony conviction triggers the loss of a state pension only if the crime in question was connected to a person’s government job.
- Jack in Chatham - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 10:02 am:
Based on my years of observation, the motto was “paper the precincts and knock on every door so we have a majority to vote for The Speaker”. I am not on the jury and haven’t heard the limited evidence that was allowed to be heard but this put as much money in Mike’s hands is new to me.
- Donnie Elgin - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 10:24 am:
Unforgettable, the “Make Mike Madigan Money Plan.” . That one smarts and it cuts straight to the heart of MJM’s corruption - $$$. The jury will remember and relate to this and bring it into deliberations.
- Annonin' - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 10:34 am:
“only if the crime in question was connected to a person’s government job.”
Apparently this element was missing. Seems like AG overlooked in his conclusion.
- low level - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 10:51 am:
The direct quid pro quo is difficult to see here. I have yet to see any place where the government says Madigan took action in return for something of value or conversely, did not take action because something was withheld.
Certainly what he and McClain did was shady. I’m just not sure it was illegal.
- Excitable Boy - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 11:04 am:
- “only if the crime in question was connected to a person’s government job.”
Apparently this element was missing. -
Why were the feds questioning him in the first place?
- flea - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 11:09 am:
I concur with low level. Further, 100pages of jury instructions bodes well for Mr. Madigan, me thinks.
- Facts Matter - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 11:13 am:
I’m no fan of Mapes, but the Attorney General’s position is a stretch. This is a somewhat rare time that I agree with Annonin’
- Downstate - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 11:17 am:
Agreed. Very narrow nexus to the crime being charged.
- Steve - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 11:21 am:
If Mike Madigan is convicted it will because of his own words caught on tape. What Danny Solis did outside Mike Madigan office isn’t as important in the video/audio tape era. The prosecution and defense gave it their all. It’s now up to the jury determine the facts and the evidence. Ray Long will have to update his excellent book on Mike Madigan.
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 11:30 am:
I am curious if it will mean anything for the prosecution that they are asking the jury to throw the book at Madigan for such a convoluted scheme at the same time there is a huge backdrop of brazen transactional corruption in happening in D.C. - with a president selling his own bitcoin and all the self-interested pardons at the end of Biden’s term and beginning of Trump’s.
Does a jury look at this and just think what are we doing here with these small potatoes? Or are they more inspired to convict to try to strike a blow, even a small one, against political corruption and shady politicians?
- Donnie Elgin - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 12:02 pm:
=there is a huge backdrop of brazen transactional corruption in happening in D.C. - with a president selling his own bitcoin =
The idea that these are equivalent is laughable - The Trump example is what 6 days old? MJM has been involved in shady corrupt deals for decades.
- Steve - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 12:14 pm:
-If the leader of the Illinois Democratic Party for decades-
It doesn’t get any bigger , in Illinois, than Madigan and Burke. This investigation was massive. The biggest on the 5th floor at Dirksen. In Burke’s trial , it was admitted that Burke’s was the biggest wire tap investigation in U.S. history. This investigation showed the guys handing out the money : are the ones running the political system in Illinois. A RICO enterprise.
- low level - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 12:24 pm:
==This investigation showed the guys handing out the money : are the ones running the political system in Illinois. A RICO enterprise.==
What money was handed out and when?
- Lincoln Lad - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 12:38 pm:
The best thing - the Speaker is not coming back. His period in power is over. Guilty or not guilty, we are able to move on. No longer need to demonstrate fealty, to do what he wants or face his wrath. Think about it… that’s over.
- Payback - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 2:44 pm:
“This investigation showed the guys handing out the money : are the ones running the political system in Illinois. A RICO enterprise.” I’ve seen almost no evidence of how any of these alleged schemes put any money in Madigan’s pocket. Because the feds are throwing RICO at Mike and Mike, does not mean they are gangsters that killed people.
If I was on the jury, I’d vote acquittal. That’s as someone who grew up within the old Mayor Daley machine that the Chicago Irish ruled.
- Bugsy - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 2:46 pm:
Lincoln Lad—I agree. No matter what the Verdict….it’s over. Madigan’s so called reputation of Loyalty is shattered… he threw his so called right hand man under the bus. His legacy is one of lies…dishonesty…and greed. It’s a pathetic way to go out. He already lost regardless of the verdict.
- Dirty Red - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 2:48 pm:
= this put as much money in Mike’s hands is new to me =
To my knowledge, the only other person to make such a claim was Gov. Florida Man when he was interviewed for Dave McKinney’s “Public Official A” podcast.
I struggle with the concept of Joanne Sullivan staying with Speaker all those years and allowing that kind of blatant corruption.
I struggle with the concept of Jim Morphew, Heather Wier Vaught, and David Ellis being cool with turning a blind eye to that sort of thing. Loyalty and their respective personal integrity aside, no attorney wants to face ARDC charges.
What’s more: If Speaker was all about personal profit, the Blagojevich crew would have found a way to get him and make sure that money went to Rezko instead.
- low level - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 3:09 pm:
==The best thing - the Speaker is not coming back. His period in power is over. Guilty or not guilty, we are able to move on==
I’m glad you are finally able to move on. The rest of us did so four years ago, in January 2021.
- Marcey Prop - Friday, Jan 24, 25 @ 3:54 pm:
@ Bugsy— The people who are retired and collecting government funded pensions only because of MJM and his recommendation to their jobs their whole career are the lucky ones. They will forever owe him a debt of gratitude. Those people and countless others don’t see his reputation like that.