(The Center Square) – Prosecutors are expected to continue presenting their case in the ComEd 4 trial on Tuesday.
A scheduling conflict on Monday gave jurors had the day off from U.S. District Court Judge Harry Leinenweber’s courtroom.
Prosecutors charged longtime Michael Madigan associate Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, one-time ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and former ComEd contract lobbyist Jay Doherty, who also once served as the head of the City Club civic group, with conspiracy, bribery, and willfully falsifying ComEd books and records.
Prosecutors say the four gave out $1.3 million in jobs, contracts, and payments in exchange for favorable treatment on legislation affecting the utility in Springfield.
This week prosecutors are expected to call to the witness stand Edward Moody, one of Madigan’s longtime 13th Ward precinct captains.
Prosecutors say ComEd officials paid Moody to do little, if any, work on behalf of the utility.
Earlier in the trial, former ComEd executive Fidel Marquez, who has been cooperating with federal investigators, said former Chicago alderman Frank Olivo, longtime Madigan campaign operative Ray Nice, former Cook County Recorder of Deeds Edward Moody, former state Rep. Eddie Acevedo and former alderman Mike Zalewski did little, if any, work for ComEd.
Marquez detailed how payments were made through contract lobbyists and how those arrangements changed over time. For example, Moody was paid as a subcontractor through Shaw Decremer, but when Decremer got in trouble for harassment, Moody’s payments were shifted to a contract with former state Rep. John Bradley, Marquez said.
When Moody’s payments were shifted, Marquez testified that he never spoke to Bradley or anyone else about Moody’s work assignments.
“I didn’t expect him to do any work for us because he was hired at the request of Michael Madigan,” he said.
Moody, 58, has not been charged with a crime. Prosecutors wrote in pretrial documents that Moody is expected to testify that his work for ComEd was a “joke,” according to court records.
This article First appeared in the center square