‘Make it a federal court suit’: Jurors hear wiretap of McClain describing subcontracts alleged to be bribes. Thursday marked the end of six days on the witness stand for star government witness Fidel Marquez, a ComEd executive-turned-FBI mole who secretly video recorded conversations with his colleagues, including McClain.
In several of those videos, shown to the jury last week, McClain can be heard explaining the Doherty subcontractor arrangement, including one where he characterizes it as a “favor.” In another secretly recorded meeting, Doherty counseled Marquez to try to keep the contracts as-is to “keep Madigan happy.”
While attorneys for the former speaker used cross-examination of Marquez to try to distance Madigan from McClain, the jury heard more intercepted phone calls on Thursday aimed at undercutting that narrative.
In one February 2019 conversation, McClain and former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker discussed having come up with the subcontractor arrangement in 2011, starting with Olivo. By the time of the call, Doherty had spent years paying three other Madigan allies under his contract, while other lobbyists close to Madigan had also taken on two of the do-nothing contractors for periods of time.
“We had to hire these guys because Mike Madigan came to us,” McClain told Hooker. “It’s just that simple … So if you want to make it a federal court suit, okay, but that’s how simple it is.”
Hooker agreed, asserting that the arrangement was “clean for all of us.”
“Right. We don’t have to worry about whether or not – I’m just making this up – whether or not Mike Zalewski Sr., is doing any work or not,” McClain said, referring to a former Chicago alderman who’d been put on Doherty’s contract the summer before, after he’d retired from the city council. “That’s up to Jay Doherty to prove that.”
Read more from Capitol News Illinois.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
House Republican Leaders outline their priorities at the start of the Veto Session. With the fall Veto Session underway this week, House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, along with Deputy Leaders Norine Hammond and Ryan Spain, held a Capitol press conference to outline their priorities for Veto Session and beyond.
Leader McCombie discussed the best way to move Illinois forward following the recent election. For McCombie, voters called for a mandate against the poor public policies of the Democratic majority. McCombie’s message to Governor Pritzker and the Democratic leaders was “Enough with the petty politics.”
Deputy Leader Norine Hammond discussed Illinois’ $3.2 billion projected budget deficit for Fiscal Year 2026. House Republicans will vehemently oppose any attempt to raise taxes on hardworking Illinois families.
Deputy Leader Ryan Spain called on Gov. Pritzker to drop the gubernatorial Macho Man routine and work with Republicans to address reducing energy prices, solving our migrant crisis, and delivering tax relief that Illinoisans need.
The Illinois General Assembly will reconvene next week for the final week of Veto Session.
ENVIRONMENT
Senate Democrats block consideration of measure to protect the Mahomet Aquifer. The underground water aquifer is a “sole source” for a broad section of central and east-central Illinois that contains hundreds of thousands of users in 15 Illinois counties. Many of these users are households who buy water from a local piping system that is tied to the aquifer. Other users are job locations, including industrial plants, that need pure water for their operations. The safety and security of this water source is an essential element for quality of life and continued job creation in central and east-central Illinois.
Many Illinois lawmakers are fighting to protect the Mahomet Aquifer. Representative Brandun Schweizer, Republican from Danville, continues to lead this effort in the Illinois House. House Bill 5870 (Schweizer) prohibits activities that could harm this vital resource. Unfortunately, the House Democrats bottled this vital bill up in their House Rules Committee.
Several Illinois senators put together a bipartisan bill in the Senate to protect the Mahomet Aquifer and to prohibit potentially dangerous activities in and around it. SB 3968 was filed after Schweizer’s HB 5870 and is similar to it. Unfortunately, in Veto Session this week the Senate bill was “bricked,” or blocked, by Senate Democrat leadership in the same way that the Democrats blocked HB 5970 in the House. Press coverage made clear that this vital measure is not going anywhere soon in the Illinois General Assembly, despite the urgent interest shown by many residents of east-central Illinois in this issue.
FIREARMS
Illinois’ firearms ban struck down in federal court. The decision by Judge Stephen McGlynn found that the state law violates both the Second Amendment and the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, requiring him to strike the law down in its entirety.
The Democrat-controlled General Assembly enacted the “Protect Illinois Communities Act” in 2023. The law imposed numerous restrictions, amounting to an almost total ban on the new Illinois private possession of certain semi-automatic firearms that supporters of the ban called “assault weapons.” Plaintiffs, including many persons with ties to entities with an established interest in firearms rights, commenced immediate litigation against the firearms ban, and asked the judicial branch to take action to uphold the explicit United States Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Judge McGlynn’s 168-page decision explicitly upheld this right and the Constitutional status of gun rights language. The decision included a permanent injunction to enjoin enforcement of the unconstitutional Illinois firearms ban.
Supporters of the new law have appealed Judge McGlynn’s decision to the Seventh Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals, the Chicago-based court with appellate jurisdiction. McGlynn handed down his decision on Friday, November 8.
SENIORS
Leader McCombie files legislation to protect funding for home delivered meals. This week, Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie filed legislation to protect funding for essential programs that deliver meals to senior citizens in need. Meal delivery programs, like Meals on Wheels, have experienced recent funding delays, putting their services in jeopardy. Leader McCombie’s newly filed legislation, HB 5911, seeks to address that issue by driving additional state resources where they are needed most by providing meals to seniors across Illinois.
The legislative measure appropriates $25,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department on Aging for the Home Delivered Meals Program by diverting funding from the Department of Human Services for Illinois Welcoming Centers.
“We have a responsibility to care for the senior citizens who’ve contributed so much to our communities,” said Leader McCombie. “Programs like Meals on Wheels are a lifeline for many seniors, ensuring they receive nutritious meals and regular wellness checks. As our state grapples with the increasing demands on resources due to the ongoing migrant crisis, we must ensure feeding and supporting our most vulnerable residents first. This legislation reflects that commitment and priority.”
The bill has a growing list of sponsors and will move through the legislative process in the Illinois House of Representatives for further consideration.