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* WGN…
Prosecutors on Monday unveiled more wiretapped conversations and Mike Madigan’s allegedly unlawful interactions with the ComEd Four as the longtime politician’s corruption trial resumed.
In federal court on Oct. 28, former ComEd executive and general counsel Thomas O’Neill spent much of the day on the stand describing ComEd’s complicated effort to modernize their aging infrastructure with Smart Grid technology and other improvements.
However, the utility company needed legislative approval. O’Neill is not accused of any wrongdoing. […]
In a June 2018 wiretapped phone call played in court Monday, Madigan and McClain can be heard discussing jobs with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office and other state agencies, allegedly dictating who would get those jobs.
* Sun-Times…
O’Neill explained how he found himself in the midst of intense negotiations over the Energy Infrastructure and Modernization Act in 2011, as well as the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016, which jurors previously heard were key to turning around ComEd’s bleak financial outlook at the time.
O’Neill called the utility’s situation “precarious.” That, he said, is what tied ComEd’s future so closely to the Legislature. And why Pramaggiore was known to say “what’s important to the Speaker is important to ComEd” — an acknowledgment of Madigan’s power.
O’Neill then explained how, in the midst of the EIMA negotiations in 2011, McClain and fellow ComEd lobbyist John Hooker began a pressure campaign to approve the Reyes Kurson contract.
Hooker was convicted last year along with McClain and Pramaggiore.
* Tribune…
Months earlier, O’Neill’s bosses had directed him to talk to Reyes, a longtime Democratic political operative, about giving his law firm, Reyes Kurson, a contract for legal work. Now, with so much on ComEd’s plate, Hooker as well as ComEd contract lobbyist Michael McClain were pestering O’Neill to get it done.
“I felt pressured to do it, and (McClain and Hooker) did impact the timing,” O’Neill said Monday as Madigan and McClain’s trial on racketeering charges entered its fourth week.
Besides the timing, O’Neill testified the proposal was also unusual in that it guaranteed Reyes Kurson a certain amount of billed hours annually, instead of the firm billing the utility as work was performed
Still, ComEd agreed to a deal with Reyes Kurson for 850 billable hours in late 2011, around the same time that the utility’s much-desired “Smart Grid” bill passed the legislature, O’Neill testified.
* ABC Chicago…
The contract was agreed to just as the General Assembly voted to override Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of ComEd’s first big legislative push. When some years later O’Neill attempted to cut the law firm’s hours, as yet another ComEd bill was getting ready to be voted on, ComEd’s CEO Anne Pramaggiore received an email from McClain.
“I’m sure you know how valuable Victor is to our Friend,” McClain said. “I know the drill and so do you. If you do not get involved and resolve this issue of 850 hours for his law firm per year then he will go to our Friend. Our Friend will call me and then I will call you. Is this a drill we must go through?”
Prosecutors said the “Friend” was Madigan.
Ultimately, the contract was renewed several months later, right around the same time ComEd’s third major legislative push ended successfully in Springfield. O’Neill returns to the witness stand Tuesday, when he is expected to be extensively cross-examined by defense lawyers.
posted by Isabel Miller
Tuesday, Oct 29, 24 @ 8:57 am
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why aren’t the madigan tapes available to the public the way they were during blagojevich’s trial? all the audio evidence was posted to the us attorney northern district of Illini website. what gives?
Comment by friends and family Tuesday, Oct 29, 24 @ 9:42 am
“I’m sure you know how valuable Victor is to our Friend,” McClain said. “I know the drill and so do you. If you do not get involved and resolve this issue of 850 hours for his law firm per year then he will go to our Friend. Our Friend will call me and then I will call you. Is this a drill we must go through?”
Getting close to the new SCOTUS standard …
” “corruptly” solicit, accept or agree to accept bribes that are promised or given before the official act”
Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Oct 29, 24 @ 11:15 am
Just curious if any lawyers here have ever heard of a firm being given a billable minimum guarantee by a client? I’ve never seen it but I don’t swim in these circles either. Always assumed other lawyers were actually working for a living if they had their name on a firm.
Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Tuesday, Oct 29, 24 @ 11:31 am
== a firm being given a billable minimum guarantee by a client? ==
While not exactly the same, an annual retainer is similar; no guarantee but there is an expectation the client will likely use / need that amount of service.
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Oct 29, 24 @ 11:43 am
“corruptly” solicit, accept or agree to accept bribes that are promised or given before the official act”
No, no, no. You misunderstood. It was a customary gratuity. You know, like tipping 20% at a restaurant.
Comment by Huh? Tuesday, Oct 29, 24 @ 12:47 pm
===Isn’t it strange there is so little interest here …===
Only to you apparently. Lack of comments on this thread is not an indication of lack of interest. There just isn’t much to say about this particular post. The trial is just getting started. If you’d been here since Madigan was indicted, you might have seen the dozens of threads and hundreds of comments on this general topic over nearly two years.
There is plenty of interest.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Oct 29, 24 @ 1:12 pm
Victor Skating away
Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Oct 29, 24 @ 1:18 pm
People, don’t respond to anonymous commenters. They’ll eventually be deleted anyway.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Oct 29, 24 @ 1:28 pm