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Former ComEd lawyer’s testimony spotlights Madigan’s alleged influence in energy bill push
Lengthy testimony from former ComEd chief lawyer Tom O’Neill continued on Tuesday in the corruption trial of ex-Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan.
CHICAGO - Lengthy testimony from a former ComEd chief lawyer continued Tuesday in the corruption trial of ex-Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and co-defendant, Michael McClain.
Madigan and McClain’s attorneys spent much of the day cross-examining Tom O’Neill . On the witness stand, he answered questions about internal ComEd emails, and the passage of legislation linked to utility rate hikes in exchange for an upgraded power grid system.
This, after O’Neill spent all day Monday taking questions from federal prosecutors.
Throughout the day, dozens of pages of emails were presented to the jury, including conversations regarding the Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016 (FEJA), a bill which, according to O’Neill’s testimony, provided ComEd with financial stability.
The internal communications shared with the jury showed how former ComEd executives collaborated to secure support for legislative bills, including FEJA.
O’Neill also testified that he felt encouraged to accommodate job requests from Madigan and McClain, including renewing a contract with the law firm of former politician, Victor Reyes.
The alleged favors and political connections have become central to the case, which sees Madigan and McClain facing 23 felony counts that include racketeering, bribery, wire fraud, and extortion.
Meanwhile, it has not yet been publicly addressed this week why Robert Rita, a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, who began testifying last week, has yet to return to the stand after the weekend recess.
Testimony is expected to conclude by 5 p.m. Tuesday.