91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Watch CBS News
Local News

Key witness in Madigan corruption trial details how ex-Illinois speaker used his power

By
Sabrina Franza
Sabrina Franza
Reporter
Sabrina Franza is a general assignment reporter for CBS News Chicago. She has a passion for pizza, politics, and impartiality.
Read Full Bio
Sabrina Franza

/ CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) – For five days, one of the star witnesses in former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's federal corruption trial has been on the stand testifying about his relationship to Madigan and his close associate and lobbyist Michael McClain.

The case hinges on wiretapped phone calls, secret recordings, emails, and other messages. For days, Fidel Marquez, a politically-connected former ComEd executive, has been answering questions about his role in all of it.

Attorneys on Wednesday brought the jury back to the day Marquez was contacted by the FBI. He would end up being an informant and wearing a wire to help in the government's investigation into Madigan.

During cross-examination, Madigan's attorneys questioned Marquez's relationship to the four people who were caught on his wiretapped recordings, suggesting he helped the FBI to save himself from any criminal liability.

Madigan's attorney: "You were in the ComEd family, weren't you?"

Marquez answered yes.

The attorney added, "And you're telling me the FBI didn't give you any incentive to wiretap your four friends?"

Marquez. in a separate trial, already pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges and admitted he helped give out jobs, contracts, and payments to allies of Madigan in exchange for political favors.

He stood by that plea on Wednesday.

Madigan stands trial on federal bribery, conspiracy, racketeering and wire fraud. Prosecutors said he used his various political positions to arrange for paid, no-work jobs for his political workers, including at ComEd. He also arranged for personal benefits for himself and his law firm.

The government believes McClain helped to facilitate at least some of those jobs.

Madigan's attorney: "McClain was constantly asking you about jobs?"

Marquez: "Regularly."

Attorney: "He was constantly asking out about internships?"

Marquez: "Once a year."

He added, "It was annoying to deal with, yes."

Madigan's trial is expected to go on into December. Former Chicago alderman-turned FBI mole Danny Solis is still expected to take the stand.

In:

© 2024 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
const link = doc.createElement('link'); link.rel = 'stylesheet'; link.href = '/fly/fly/bundles/cbsnewscontent/css/cmp-banner.min.css?v=fd53910ecf4604072044ab7c46d9b028'; doc.head.appendChild(link); doc.body.innerHTML = CONSENT_MESSAGE; } else { el.insertAdjacentHTML('afterend', CONSENT_MESSAGE); } }); } function hidePrivacyMessage() { // Remove from the main document document.querySelectorAll(`.${CONSENT_MESSAGE_CLASS}`).forEach(el => el.remove()); // Remove from inside any iframes document.querySelectorAll('iframe').forEach(iframe => { const doc = iframe.contentDocument || iframe.contentWindow.document; doc.querySelectorAll(`.${CONSENT_MESSAGE_CLASS}`).forEach(el => el.remove()); }); } function activateGatedScripts() { // Handle both new format (cmp-gated-script) and old OneTrust/Ketch format (optanon-category-4) const gatedScripts = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('script.cmp-gated-script, script.optanon-category-4')); // Activate scripts sequentially with a small delay to avoid timing issues let delay = 0; gatedScripts.forEach(function(placeholder, index) { setTimeout(function() { // Skip if already processed if (placeholder.hasAttribute('data-cmp-processed')) { return; } placeholder.setAttribute('data-cmp-processed', 'true'); const newScript = document.createElement('script'); newScript.type = 'text/javascript'; // Try new format first (data-cmp-src), then fall back to old format (data-src) const src = placeholder.getAttribute('data-cmp-src') || placeholder.getAttribute('data-src'); if (src) { newScript.src = src; } else if (placeholder.textContent) { // Inline script - just copy the content newScript.textContent = placeholder.textContent; } // Handle new format attributes (data-cmp-attrs) - for both inline and external scripts const attrs = placeholder.getAttribute('data-cmp-attrs'); if (attrs) { const tempDiv = document.createElement('div'); tempDiv.innerHTML = '
<\/div>'; const tempAttrs = tempDiv.firstChild.attributes; for (let i = 0; i < tempAttrs.length; i++) { // For external scripts, allow defer/async. For inline scripts, skip them (not valid) if (src || (tempAttrs[i].name !== 'async' && tempAttrs[i].name !== 'defer')) { newScript.setAttribute(tempAttrs[i].name, tempAttrs[i].value); } } } // Copy other attributes from old OneTrust format for (let i = 0; i < placeholder.attributes.length; i++) { const attr = placeholder.attributes[i]; // Skip attributes we've already handled or don't want to copy if (!['class', 'data-src', 'data-type', 'data-cmp-src', 'data-cmp-attrs', 'data-cmp-processed', 'type', 'async', 'defer', 'src'].includes(attr.name)) { newScript.setAttribute(attr.name, attr.value); } } placeholder.parentNode.replaceChild(newScript, placeholder); // If external script, manually trigger window.onload handlers after it loads // This handles widgets that use window.onload for initialization if (src) { newScript.addEventListener('load', function() { // If page already loaded and script set a new onload handler, trigger it if (document.readyState === 'complete' && window.onload) { const originalOnload = window.onload; window.onload = null; // Clear temporarily to prevent loops originalOnload(); // Execute the handler } }); } }, delay); delay += 500; // 500ms delay between each script to allow full loading }); } cbsoptanon.onScriptsReady(function(cmp) { cmp.ot.targetingAllowed(function(allowed) { if (!allowed) { showPrivacyMessage(); } else { activateGatedScripts(); } }); cmp.ot.awaitInitialConsent(function(consent_model) { cmp.ot.addOnConsentChangedHandler(function() { cmp.ot.targetingAllowed(function(allowed) { if (allowed) { hidePrivacyMessage(); activateGatedScripts(); } else { showPrivacyMessage(); } }); }); }); });