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Madigan trial: FBI unveils alleged 'magic list' of high-powered lobbyists
The Mike Madigan corruption trial entered its fifth week of testimony on Monday.
CHICAGO - The Mike Madigan corruption trial entered its fifth week of testimony on Monday.
Jurors were shown a printed email, allegedly created by Madigan's co-defendant Michael McClain, listing high-powered lobbyists connected to Madigan—a list McClain referred to as the "Magic List."
The list was part of a trove of evidence seized by the FBI during a May 2019 raid of McClain's home in downstate Quincy, Illinois.
McClain himself called it a "magic list" in a printed out email that the FBI said it found in a bag inside McClain's car. He allegedly wrote in the email that he'd gone over the list with then-House Speaker Madigan.
Prosecutors revealed that the list contained fewer than two dozen names of Madigan's allies, many of whom had transitioned into high-paying lobbying careers, with each name seemingly accompanied by a rating.
The "Magic List" allegedly revealed that McClain was assisting former Madigan associates in securing jobs, with Madigan's knowledge.
Another document seized from McClain seemed to show that after McClain's retirement in 2016, he continued to take special political assignments from Madigan.