Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan may testify at his own public corruption trial.
Lawyers conferred Tuesday morning over a number of issues, including Madigan potentially forfeiting his right to testify at a later bench trial but not waiving his right to testify before the jury. U.S. government attorney Amar Bhachu asked for some time to research the issue after Judge John Robert Blakey said he would do some reading, so Madigan would not be blindly waiving anything.
The judge held several bench conferences Tuesday, including one after former state Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, finished his testimony. After Harris left, attorneys discussed the forfeiture issue and Madigan attorney Dan Collins mentioned the potential of Madigan testifying. The judge called for an early lunch break and asked attorneys to return 30 minutes before the jury would be brought back.
Several of Madigan’s family members, including his daughter and former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, were in the courtroom Tuesday.
Madigan and McClain are charged with 23 counts of bribery, racketeering and official misconduct in connection with a scheme that federal prosecutors referred to as “Madigan Enterprise.”
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 them in Springfield. Four ComEd executives and lobbyists were convicted 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 served in the Illinois House for 50 years and was speaker for more than 35 years. He chaired the Democratic Party of Illinois for 23 years.
McClain worked as a lobbyist after spending time as a state rep. in the Illinois House.
