
ComEd Bribery Trial Heats Up With Government Witness
Clip: 3/27/2023 | 4m 54sVideo has Closed Captions
The trial of four people accused of corruption involving ComEd continues.
An alleged bribery plot was all about making — and keeping — former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan happy. That's the gist of testimony from a key government witness in the so-called ComEd Four case.
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ComEd Bribery Trial Heats Up With Government Witness
Clip: 3/27/2023 | 4m 54sVideo has Closed Captions
An alleged bribery plot was all about making — and keeping — former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan happy. That's the gist of testimony from a key government witness in the so-called ComEd Four case.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>> THIS BRIBERY PLOT WAS ALL ABOUT MAKING AND KEEPING MICHAEL MADIGAN HAPPY.
WE HAVE TESTIMONY FROM A KEY GOVERNMENT WITNESS.
AMANDA JOINS US NOW.
YOU ARE WATCHING THE PROCEEDINGS, >> IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT TRIAL.
FORMERLY A TOP EXECUTIVE, BEING CHARGED WITH GOVERNMENT RELATIONS.
HE SERVED AS A MOLD FOR THE FBI.
MARQUEZ ADMITTED TO BRIBERY IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS COOPERATION INCLUDING HIS TESTIMONY TODAY.
HE MAY SERVE NO PRISON TIME.
4 OF HIS FORMER COLLEAGUES PLEADED NOT GUILTY.
>> WHAT DID HE HAVE TO SAY.
>> HE SHARED THE COMMENT DIDN'T HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH MICHAEL MADIGAN.
HE SAID MADIGAN HAS GROWN NOT TO TRUST THEM BECAUSE OF NEGOTIATIONS.
THEY FOCUSED ON TURNING THAT AROUND, WITH THE HELP OF MICHAEL McLEAN.
HE WAS KNOWN AS A DOUBLE AGENT BECAUSE WHILE THE LOBBYIST WAS INVOLVED.
THIS IS WHY MARQUEZ SAID HE GOT A REQUEST FROM McLEAN AND HE KNEW HE HAD TO ACT ON ITS URGENCY.
>> WHAT SORT OF REQUESTS WERE SON OF THESE?
>> HE WAS GIVEN A TO DO LIST.
MARQUEZ WENT ON TO DETAIL OTHER REQUESTS LIKE LOBBYING CONTRACTS.
HE SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SKILLS FOR THOSE JOBS BUT THE SUBCONTRACTORS, DIDN'T DO ANY WORK DESPITE GETTING PAID.
EVEN AS THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF MANAGING LOBBYING CONTRACTS ORIGINALLY KNOWN.
IT WAS MORE PROMINENT LOBBYISTS.
TODAY MARQUEZ SAYS HE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO POINT ONE OF THEM OUT.
MARQUEZ SAYS HE DID ALL OF THIS WITH FULL CONSENT.
HE SAID HE WANTED EVERYTHING POSSIBLE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT MADIGAN HAD A FAVORABLE DISPOSITION BECAUSE SHE KNEW MARQUEZ TESTIFIED AND MADIGAN WAS THE LINCHPIN FOR ADVANCING LEGISLATION INCLUDING BILLS THAT WERE CREDITED FOR ADVANCING HER TO THE CEO.
>> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER BIG TAKEAWAYS FROM TODAY?
>> THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE JURY HEARD ABOUT THIS.
ALSO THEY SAW AN EMAIL EXHIBIT WITH THE PROSECUTION SHOWING PROOF TO JURORS THAT THE DEFENDANT WAS INVOLVED IN THE BRIBERY SCHEME.
THAT SUBCONTRACTS AND HOW THEY SHOULD BE PAID UNDER AND HOW MUCH.
BECAUSE IT WAS SEEN AS IMPORTANT TO MADIGAN.
WE DID NOT HEAR MUCH FROM THE DEFENSE TODAY.
WE GOT A BUNCH OF OBJECTIONS WHICH WERE OVERRULED BUT WHEN IT IS THEIR TURN TO CROSS EXAMINE, WE WILL FIND THAT MADIGAN WAS POWERFUL BUT IT WAS REGULAR LOBBY WORK FOR HIM AS A PROMINENT SPEAKER.
AGAIN THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE THIRD WEEK OF THE TRIAL.
WE ARE EXPECTING TO HAVE MANY MORE WEEKS AHEAD.
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