(The Center Square) – Prosecutors have introduced a new witness for jurors at the bribery and racketeering trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and codefendant Michael McClain.
Former Cook County commissioner, Cook County recorder of deeds and Madigan campaign worker Edward Moody was called to testify Wednesday morning. Moody served as a precinct captain in Madigan’s 13th Ward Democratic Organization.
Moody said he did “political work” for Madigan, including outreach, candidate training and recruitment, voter registration and door-to-door campaigning.
When asked by U.S. government attorney Diane MacArthur, Moody affirmed that he was testifying with immunity, meaning that he would be immune from prosecution if he provided truthful testimony.
Moody said he received monthly checks over a period of years from McClain, contract lobbyist Jay Doherty, lobbyist Shaw Decremer and lobbyist and former Illinois state representative John Bradley.
Moody said he did “little” work for McClain and no work for Doherty. When asked if he did work for Decremer or Bradley, Moody answered, “None.”
McClain, Doherty and two others were convicted of conspiracy,
Moody described the work he and his twin brother Fred did in Chicago’s 13th Ward during the 1992 primary election, which was his first as part of Madigan’s organization. After the election, Moody said he connected residents to government services and provided services for residents.
Moody said he and Fred assisted in the 1992 general election, including the presidential race won by Bill Clinton. Moody said Madigan gave the Moody brothers their assignments for campaign work. Ed Moody said he and his brother were assigned to work in Chicago’s southwest suburbs for the election of Democrat John Sheehy as Illinois state representative that year. Moody said the goal was to “flip” a Republican district to elect a Democrat. Sheehy won the election and served in the Illinois House from 1993 to 1995.
Moody said he and his brother also did campaign work in 1994, although Sheehy lost his reelection bid to Republican Ed Zabrocki, who was mayor of Tinley Park from 1981 to 2016. In 1996, with Moody and his brother again doing campaign work, Democrat Kevin McCarthy reclaimed the seat from Republican John Doody. With legislative victories that year, Democrats regained control of the Illinois House after two years of Republican control. Madigan then reclaimed his position as speaker, which he held from 1983 to 1995 and from 1997 to 2021.
Before Moody reported to the witness stand, U.S. government attorney Julia Schwartz introduced additional communications involving the appointment of former Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (McPier) CEO Juan Ochoa to the ComEd board of directors. Schwartz had played several recordings Tuesday afternoon, after Ochoa left the courtroom. Schwartz played two more recordings Wednesday morning, including one in which former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore told McClain that Madigan could inform Ochoa that he would be appointed to the board, but the appointment needed to be kept confidential until then-ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez called Ochoa.
ComEd agreed to pay $200 million in July 2020 to resolve a criminal investigation into the years-long bribery scheme. As part of a deferred prosecution agreement, ComEd admitted it arranged $1.3 million in jobs, vendor subcontracts and payments to influence Madigan. AT&T Illinois agreed to pay $23 million as part of its own deferred prosecution agreement in 2022.
Madigan and McClain pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of bribery, racketeering and official misconduct.
Ochoa testified Tuesday about the roles Madigan, then-U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, current U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and then-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel played in Ochoa’s appointment to the ComEd board.
Ochoa also testified Tuesday that he had done campaign work for former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.
This article was originally published at www.thecentersquare.com
