(The Center Square) – Former Chicago Alderman Daniel Solis, now a cooperating witness for the federal government, has started testifying at the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and codefendant Michael McClain.
Government attorney Diane MacArthur called Solis to the witness stand shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday. The 75-year-old Solis said that he secretly cooperated with government investigators for about 2 1/2 years and entered a deferred prosecution agreement, which allowed that he would not be prosecuted while cooperating. Solis admitted that he still faced a pending bribery charge for soliciting campaign contributions from a developer with a pending zoning application in his community.
Solis testified about being appointed to several boards at the recommendation of then-Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Solis said he was appointed 25th Ward alderman by Daley to fill a vacancy in 1996. Solis’ ward office was located southwest of downtown in the Pilsen neighborhood.
Solis said Daley appointed him to chair the city council’s zoning committee in 2009. Solis said he remained on the committee until he left office in 2019. As chairman of the committee, Solis said he had the power to call items up for discussion during meetings.
Solis testified that developers would often approach him for letters of support in an effort to get their projects approved.
Madigan and McClain are charged with 23 counts of bribery, racketeering and official misconduct in connection with a scheme which federal prosecutors called “Madigan Enterprise.” According to the government, Madigan and McClain used Madigan’s public office to secure little- to do-nothing jobs for their associates by advancing legislation favorable to ComEd.
ComEd admitted in 2020 that it sought to influence Madigan by placing his associates into jobs requiring little or no work. ComEd agreed to pay a fine of $200 million and cooperate with the federal investigation in exchange for an agreement that prosecutors drop a bribery charge against the utility.
Earlier Thursday afternoon, FBI Special Agent Ryan McDonald returned to the witness stand for a second time during the trial. McDonald testified last month about wiretapping McClain’s phone and about former ComEd executive Fidel Marquez’ cooperation with investigators.
On Thursday, McDonald testified that the investigation of Solis included a development project in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood, which was in Solis’ ward.
After a meeting about the project, McDonald said the government sought permission to wiretap Solis’ phone for 30 days. McDonald said investigators tapped Solis’ phone for several months in 2014 and 2015.
On June 1, 2016, McDonald said he approached Solis to obtain his cooperation with the government.
McDonald testified that Solis, as a sitting politician, had a unique ability to cooperate in the investigation and agreed to a consensual wiretap of his conversations.
Madigan then contacted Solis about the Union West development project, giving Madigan the potential to gain business for his law firm, Madigan and Getzendanner, McDonald said. He also testified about a planned hotel and retail space on land in Chinatown that was being used as a parking lot. McDonald said the land was owned by the state of Illinois.
An undercover deal was worked out involving the land, he said. The proposal involved potential business for Madigan’s law firm and a potential state board appointment for Solis.
McDonald described how Solis’ communications with Madigan and McClain ended once news of Solis’ cooperation with the government leaked to the public. He testified that Solis’ cover was blown by articles published about Solis’ phone being tapped.
In cross-examination, Madigan attorney Dan Collins told McDonald that there were no calls intercepted between Solis and Madigan from June 7, 2016 to June 7, 2017. Later, in redirect testimony with government attorney Amar Bhachu, McDonald said Madigan reached out to Solis on or around June 12, 2017, about development.
Collins also questioned McDonald about conversations Solis had which were not recorded, even after Solis began cooperating with investigators.
Collins repeatedly referred to the undercover deal proposed for Solis and Madigan as “a ruse.”
McDonald testified that a wiretap of then-alderman Solis’ sister, Patti Solis Doyle, was “not fruitful.” Patti Solis Doyle served as campaign manager for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016. She previously worked on campaigns for former President Bill Clinton and former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Former Chicago Alderman Michele Smith also testified Thursday afternoon. Smith represented the 43rd Ward on the city’s North Side from 2011 to 2022.
Smith testified about ordinances, council processes, committee assignments and zoning matters.
Smith said she was not a member of the zoning committee, but she did attend many of the panel’s meetings to advocate for or against zoning issues in her ward. Smith said aldermen had a lot of power over zoning developments in their wards.
During the lunch break, Judge Robert Blakey discussed several suggested stipulations and instructions with prosecutors and defense attorneys. The prosecution disputed one instruction that contained a statement about campaign contributions, bribes and government witness Daniel Solis.
Government attorney Diane MacArthur explained that Solis would not testify about consultant and Madigan ally Victor Reyes and campaign contributions. MacArthur explained that the defense teams agreed not to cross-examine Solis about the subject, because prosecutors would not ask about it in direct testimony.
Former Madigan campaign worker Edward Moody completed his time in the witness box Thursday morning with cross-examination and redirect testimony.
Madigan defense attorney Tom Breen accused Moody of throwing Madigan under the bus, and Moody responded quickly, “I never threw anyone under the bus.”
Breen asked Moody about his time as a Cook County commissioner from 2016 to 2018, which Moody said Wednesday he did not enjoy.
Moody said he voted for the unpopular “pop tax” supported by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
The Cook County Board of Commissioners passed the Cook County Sweetened Beverage Tax Ordinance on Nov. 10, 2016. The legislation imposed a $0.01 per ounce tax on the retail sale of all sweetened beverages in Cook County. Commissioners voted to repeal the ordinance on Oct. 11, 2017.
Breen also asked Moody about his campaign fund, Friends of Ed Moody, which started in 2013 and accumulated $260,000. Moody affirmed that there is more than $250,000 in the campaign fund today.
Breen continued to press Moody about his account and asked to introduce financial documents as evidence. The judge reminded Breen and Moody several times not to talk over each other during cross-examination.
Government attorney MacArthur objected, and attorneys held a sidebar discussion.
After the jury left the courtroom for a morning break, Madigan defense attorney Todd Pugh said Moody was being disingenuous when he continued to hold fundraisers when he no longer had any intention of running for office.
Government attorney Amar Bhachu asked the court for a stipulation that maintaining the campaign fund is legal under Illinois law. When Pugh protested, Bhachu reminded defense attorneys, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”
Madigan’s campaign fund, Friends of Michael J. Madigan, had $10.5 million in December of 2021. Madigan resigned as a state representative in February of 2021 after 50 years in the Illinois House. He has tapped into his campaign fund to at least partially fund his legal defense.
Blakey later agreed to read a stipulation about the legality of maintaining a campaign fund.
McClain defense attorney Patrick Cotter asked Moody about the monthly reports Moody did while receiving payments from McClain. Moody agreed that there was value in his work checking in with lawmakers each month. He also agreed that there was value in handing out flyers for ComEd.
Moody said he also talked about ComEd’s Smart Grid program with people as he did door-to-door campaign work.
In redirect testimony, Moody told MacArthur that Madigan continued to send him places in Chicago’s 13th Ward, around the Chicago area and even statewide.
Madigan chaired both the 13th Ward Democratic Organization and the Democratic Party of Illinois for decades.
Moody agreed to cooperate with the government and testified with immunity.
Prosecutors introduced a number of wiretapped conversations between Moody and McClain.
On Feb. 4, 2019, Moody asked McClain if there was a new subcontractor who might be paying Moody.
“I was just following up. Any word on any potential, uh, replacement?” Moody asked McClain.
“Yep. I’m lookin’ around. I’m lookin’ around,” McClain answered.
Moody had been appointed Cook County recorder of deeds in December 2018. McClain and Moody also talked around that time.
“What do I call you? County commissioner? I can’t call you county commissioner any more. Do I call you recorder of deeds?” McClain asked.
“They’ve been calling me recorder. Some people call me commissioner. And some people just say, ‘Hey Ed.” I don’t care. I’m easy going,” Moody said.
McClain offered his congratulations, and Moody told him he liked it and thought it would be a good fit.
“It’s a lot more work. There’s a big difference between being a commissioner and the recorder. It’s a lot more responsibilities,” Moody said.
The trial is scheduled to resume Monday at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago.
The judge said the court would be in session as usual Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 25 and 26, and would go into recess at noon Wednesday, Nov. 27, before Thanksgiving the next day.
Brett Rowland contributed to this story.
