* Sun-Times…
Convicted former state Rep. Edward “Eddie” Acevedo briefly took the witness stand Monday and contradicted prosecutors’ claim that he did no work for the thousands of dollars he was paid by two utilities allegedly trying to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan.
But that apparently differed from what the onetime assistant majority leader previously told authorities and a grand jury. Acevedo told jurors Monday that he couldn’t remember his past comments. He also admitted he’d been prosecuted for tax evasion and wasn’t happy about it.
And he forgot his eyeglasses — a move that seemed to annoy U.S. District Judge John Blakey so much that he threatened Acevedo with contempt if he forgot them again Tuesday, when his testimony is expected to resume.
“I’ll buy him a pair of glasses and bring it myself,” Acevedo’s attorney, Gabrielle Sansonetti, assured the judge.
* Sun-Times federal courts reporter Jon Seidel…
* Tribune…
Prosecutors allege Acevedo, 61, was paid a total of $142,500 by AT&T and ComEd after retiring from the Illinois House in 2017, even though he was not expected to do much of anything for the money.
But questioning on that topic turned quickly contentious Monday when Acevedo claimed he had in fact attended meetings on behalf of AT&T and even given oral reports to Stephen Selcke, a former AT&T governmental affairs executive, about his thoughts on how the Latino caucus came down on certain legislation.
“I told you, I went to hearings,” Acevedo said at one point during a tense back-and-forth with Bhachu. “I went to meetings and I was always telling Steve Selcke what was happening. … I would meet him at the rail. … He would always ask me how I thought the Latino legislators were going.”
Acevedo also claimed he and his sons, Alex and Michael, would have meetings “on the side” where they “were discussing the legislation that they were trying to push through.”
That prompted Bhachu to confront Acevedo with his previous statement before a federal grand jury where he said he’d actually done no work for the utility. After reading a part of his grand jury testimony, Acevedo acquiesced. “It says I said that, so I guess so,” he said.
* Capitol News Illinois…
Bhachu then asked about the payments Acevedo received indirectly from ComEd in 2017 and 2018.
“And ComEd never tasked you with any work assignments, did they?” Bhachu asked.
But Acevedo insisted the utility did. When Bhachu asked about an FBI interview in 2019 in which Acevedo apparently told agents that he was “never given work assignments from ComEd,” Acevedo said he didn’t remember.
Bhachu tried asking the same set of questions about the ComEd lobbyists through whom he was paid.
“You never did any work assignments for them,” he said.
“Whatever they asked me, I did,” Acevedo replied, again saying he didn’t remember when Bhachu reminded him of what he’d apparently told the FBI in 2019 about not having received any work assignments from the lobbyists.
* Center Square…
During the 25 minutes or so Acevedo was on the stand Monday, Bhachu twice had to have the former lawmaker review his previous testimony. Acevedo said he couldn’t remember what he testified to in 2019.
Sansonetti previously said her client had dementia. However, the judge allowed Acevedo to testify. Blakey previously said he considered the entire record and pointed to the distinction between the credibility of the witness and competency to testify. He then instructed Acevedo to report to the courtroom Monday morning.
…Adding… The prosecution plans to rest their case later today…
* More…
* Center Square | Judge tosses state lawmaker’s testimony in Madigan corruption trial: A judge told the jury in the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan without explanation Monday to disregard all testimony from Illinois state Rep. Bob Rita. Rita, D-Blue Island, testified for about 10 minutes during the trial on Oct. 24, but never returned to the witness stand. On Monday, Judge John Robert Blakey told the jury that Rita wouldn’t be part of the trial and to disregard all questions asked of him and all of his answers.
* Sun-Times | ‘Did you bring your glasses today sir?’ Testimony of ex-state Rep. Edward Acevedo gets testy: By reminding Acevedo of his failure to bring his glasses to court on Monday — which drew the ire of the judge — Bhachu set the tone for what would be a rapid-fire series of questions about Acevedo’s memory and how his testimony in Madigan’s trial differed from what he told a federal grand jury under oath two years ago. Acevedo, meanwhile, has been diagnosed with dementia and a brain tumor, and his testimony is sure to be framed by the defense as unreliable.
