THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All...Mr. Johnson goes to Springfield...ComEd trial likely goes to jury next week
April 20, 2023
Good morning, Illinois.
I’ll be on WLS-AM this morning a little after 6:30 talking with Steve Cochran about Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson’s Springfield adventure yesterday and his unprecedented (and slightly oblivious to reality) joint address to the legislature. You can listen online here.
The House and Senate are in at 11. There’s nothing on the Governor’s public schedule.
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Let’s get to it.
YOUR THURSDAY FREE FOR ALL
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Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson tells state lawmakers funding for schools, youth jobs tie into ‘mandate’ to tackle crime with investment (Chicago Tribune)
Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson on Wednesday urged state lawmakers to deliver funds for schools, youth employment and other ambitious initiatives that he said would uplift Chicago — and with it, Illinois — during his first visit to Springfield since winning the election.
Johnson’s wide-ranging address to a joint session of the Illinois House and Senate served as an extension of his campaign themes of championing progressive values and a holistic approach to tackling crime, a front-of-mind concern after a weekend when three teens were shot amid hundreds of young people converging downtown and along the lakefront.
“Public safety is a prerequisite to the prosperity of Chicago, and the voters have sent a clear message that they want to get smart, not just tough, on crime,” Johnson said on the House floor. “We have a mandate to make bold, necessary investments that address the root causes of violence.”
Johnson reaffirmed that stance during a post-speech news conference in which he defended his earlier call to not “demonize youth” following the chaotic weekend, and rejected pressure from critics to be more forceful, though he also took pains to stress that he had said he does not condone the destruction and violence.
“Have you ever taught middle school? I have. Have you ever raised young people? Do you understand the risk that young people take just because they’re young?” Johnson said. “Sometimes they make silly decisions. They do. And so we have to make sure that we are investing to make sure that young people know that they are supported.”
Throughout his remarks to legislators, Johnson underscored the importance of uniting the state and rejecting the age-old dynamic of Chicago and downstate interests fighting over resources.
“They’ve told us that this is a zero-sum game. And if something is good for Chicago, well, that means we’re taking something away from Peoria,” Johnson said. “But I’m here to deliver an emphatic message today. It is a false choice. No one has to lose at the expense of someone else winning. There is more than enough for everybody in the state of Illinois.”
Related: Mayor-elect Johnson pitches unity to state legislators in Springfield: ‘Our challenges are not that unique’ (Chicago Sun-Times)
Brandon Johnson goes to Springfield with a few big asks — and a big message (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Editorial: Brandon Johnson’s statement on Loop violence was as revealing as it was lamentable (Chicago Tribune)
ComEd bribery case — which shook Illinois politics to the core — goes into the hands of jurors next week (Chicago Sun-Times)
Closing arguments are expected to begin Monday in the trial of four political power players accused of conspiring to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, meaning the expansive case that shook state politics will soon be in the hands of a jury.
Jurors will have a mountain of evidence to sort through once they begin to deliberate. Not only did they hear from about 50 witnesses over five weeks, they have seen piles of emails and heard a cache of secret FBI recordings that form the backbone of the feds’ case.
Before U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber sent them home for the week, they watched for a second consecutive day Wednesday as a federal prosecutor cross-examined one of the four defendants.
Former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker told the jury he never set out to corruptly influence Madigan. In fact, he said he didn’t believe Madigan would trade support for a bill in exchange for jobs for his allies.
On trial with Hooker are Madigan confidant Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and onetime City Club President Jay Doherty. They are accused of a nearly decade-long bribery conspiracy, in which they allegedly arranged for jobs, contracts and money for Madigan allies.
Prosecutors said they did so in an illegal bid to sway Madigan as legislation moved through Springfield, taking ComEd from a “dire” financial position in the 2000s to record earnings in 2022.
At the core of the case are five Madigan allies paid $1.3 million by ComEd through a contract between the utility and Doherty’s consulting firm and other intermediaries, allegedly for do-nothing jobs. Prosecutors have also pointed to an unusual contract for a clouted law firm, and the appointment of former McPier boss Juan Ochoa to the ComEd board in 2019.
This trial has been absolutely fascinating, but my non-lawyer perspective questions whether the prosecution has made the case these officials actually committed bribery.
Related: 'ComEd Four' trial wraps up with six hours of folksy defendant John Hooker (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Apparent slip-up during ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore cross-examination leads to revelation about interview with feds (Chicago Tribune)
Former ComEd CEO testifies that secretly recorded call central to bribery case against her actually ‘proves my innocence’ (Chicago Sun-Times)
Former ComEd CEO says she didn’t remember wiretapped call that ‘proves my innocence’ (Capitol News Illinois)
POLITICAL POTPOURRI
Illinois after-school programs at risk because of state error (WBEZ)
Mayors, municipal leaders call for restored share of state income tax (State Journal-Register)
Bill requiring schools to teach Native American history heads to Senate floor (Capitol News Illinois)
City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin lays groundwork for challenging U.S. Rep. Danny Davis in 2024 (Chicago Tribune)
Big spending didn’t always lead to wins in school and library board races fueled by partisan rancor (Chicago Tribune)
Naperville assault weapons ban withstands appeal in federal court (Chicago Sun-Times)
Democratic Justices, citing Republican predecessor, won’t step aside from assault weapons case (Capitol News Illinois)
Legal assistance to expunge pot convictions goes unused across Illinois (Chicago Sun-Times)
Editorial: Keep Illinois after-school programs afloat (Chicago Sun-Times)
Ammons, Lightford: It's time for Illinois to systematically support student well-being (Champaign News-Gazette)
Opinion: State can, should do more to invest in community health centers (The Southern Illinoisan)
SOME TOP LINKS FROM THE WEEK SO FAR
Republican Leaders Criticize, Democrats Reluctant to Discuss Specifics for Final Month of Session
Why Did Johnson Receive an Unprecedented Joint Session Address?
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