THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All...Defense starts picking away at star witness in ComEd trial...In the wake of latest school shooting, gun owners rally in Springfield
March 30, 2023
Good morning, Illinois.
Happy opening day, kids. The Cubs, the only professional baseball team that gets positive discussion in this newsletter, kicks off their return to relevance this afternoon. It’s a 1:20 first pitch at Wrigley Field against Milwaukee. First pitch temperature? 42 degrees with a wind chill in the low to mid 30’s. Enjoy.
It’s the best 11 days in sports between opening day today, the Final Four this weekend, and the Master’s tournament next weekend. (Not to mention, there’s an election on Tuesday!)
The House is in at noon. The Senate is in at 12:30. Governor Pritzker will be in Decatur this morning announcing “investments in freight mobility projects” at Richland Community College.
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SOME TOP LINKS FROM THE WEEK SO FAR
YOUR THURSDAY FREE FOR ALL
(note: we’re not responsible for paywalls and restrictions from other news outlets)
Defense finally gets crack at feds’ key witness in ComEd bribery trial, says he was ‘scared’ when FBI agents came to his door (Chicago Sun-Times)
Michael McClain laughed inside Saputo’s restaurant in Springfield as he shared with then-ComEd executive Fidel Marquez his story about his 2016 retirement, and how he handed his list of duties over to Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Madigan and McClain were longtime friends. McClain has described himself as an “agent” of Madigan. And after McClain handed Madigan that list, Madigan purportedly handed it back and told McClain “I don’t think you’re done yet.”
“Is that like tendering your resignation but it gets, uh, denied? It gets rejected?” Marquez asked over a slice of pizza on Feb. 7, 2019.
“Yeah,” McClain said.
Jurors at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse saw video of that moment Wednesday as Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu ended his 13-hour direct-examination of Marquez, who weeks before munching on the Saputo’s pizza had agreed to cooperate with investigators and secretly record McClain and three others now on trial for trying to bribe Madigan to benefit ComEd.
Former U.S. Attorney Scott Lassar, now a defense attorney representing onetime ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, stepped up next to question Marquez. Lassar quickly confirmed that Marquez was “scared” when FBI agents showed up at his mother’s house around 6 a.m. on Jan. 16, 2019.
Though the agents suggested he might have committed federal crimes, Lassar said, “You told them you had done nothing illegal, and you believed that, right?”
“Yes,” said Marquez, who nonetheless pleaded guilty to bribery conspiracy in September 2020.
Lassar is expected to continue his cross-examination Thursday. When he’s done, Marquez will be questioned by attorneys for McClain and two others on trial: former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and onetime City Club President Jay Doherty.
Federal prosecutors used Marquez’s marathon testimony over three days to show how Pramaggiore made sure ComEd “did everything possible” to stay on Madigan’s good side.
Related: ‘They scared the daylights out of you, didn’t they?’ Cross-examination underway for star witness in ‘ComEd Four” trial (Chicago Tribune)
Madigan’s vast patronage system in ComEd: Jurors see, hear federal evidence (Chicago Sun-Times)
‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’: Secretly recorded videos show ComEd lobbyists discussing alleged bribery scheme (Capitol News Illinois)
ComEd's formula rate might still be law but for timing of fed raids on Madigan allies (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Gun owners host first lobby day since assault weapons ban (State Journal-Register)
In its first lobby day since the passage of the assault-style weapons ban, Illinois gun rights advocates marched the streets of Springfield on Wednesday.
The Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day is sponsored by the Illinois State Riffle Association, who is behind one of several lawsuits filed against the Protect Illinois Communities Act. Passed under House Bill 5471, the act bans the sale and manufacturing of hundreds of firearms defined as “assault weapons,” assault weapon attachments, .50-caliber rifles and .50-caliber cartridges, as well as large-capacity magazines.
Speakers at the BOS Center included ISRA leadership Richard Pearson, executive director, and Doug Mayhall, president among several others. Both expressed confidence in its lawsuit, set to be heard in East St. Louis next month as well as others.
ISRA's lawsuit is federal while the others have been filed at the county level, naming Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon and House Leader Emanuel "Chris" Welch as defendants. The Illinois Supreme Court recently agreed to fast-track the state's appeal from a Macon County judge ruling where he found portions of new law unconstitutional.
Related: Gun rights advocates rally in Springfield, deride the ‘insanity’ of weapons ban passed by Democrats (Chicago Tribune)
Editorial: How powerful must firearms get before we stop the bloodshed? (Chicago Sun-Times)
Editorial: After the Nashville school shooting, America must do more than grieve. It must act. (Chicago Tribune)
POLITICAL POTPOURRI
With a $150 million infusion, Illinois' rainy day fund hits a record (Crain’s Chicago Business)
“DCFS messed this up on many, many levels” (Peoria Journal Star)
Illinois Democratic lawmakers want to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ (WBEZ)
Illinois Senate Democrats push bill calling for $35 monthly cap for insulin (State Journal-Register)
Senate passes bill protecting ‘child influencers’ (Capitol News Illinois)
FFA members flood Capitol for agriculture lobby day (Decatur Herald & Review)
Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas spar at last televised debate before Election Day: ‘I’m criticizing his leadership ability’ (Chicago Tribune)
Johnson accuses Vallas of being ‘dismissive of a Black man’ in TV debate that features both vowing to unify Chicago (Chicago Sun-Times)
Chicago GOP says Vallas is 'not a Republican' (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Opinion: Young people in Chicago aren’t voting. Here’s why. (Chicago Sun-Times)
Out-of-state PAC backing conservative school board candidates belatedly files spending report (Chicago Tribune)
Editorial: When will the ghost of the Peotone airport folly finally stop haunting Illinois? (Chicago Tribune)
Behind the theatrical end to Illinois House lawmakers' busy deadline week (Bloomington Pantagraph)
Opinion: School facilities, staffing levels not ready for kindergarten expansion (Shaw Media)
Opinion: Training ex-offenders for green jobs is essential for economic equity (Chicago Sun-Times)
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