“What gets said goes into the air…what is written stays there forever" is one of the sayings attributed to former ComEd employee turned lobbyist John Hooker. It is also a description of how the company handled its complex relationship with former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan.
Keeping him happy, and the company’s agenda on track were all part of the job for Fidel Marquez.
Marquez took the stand Monday as the star witness against Hooker and co-defendants Jay Dougherty, Michael McClain and former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore.
“Every single defendant in the courtroom today, you caught on tape?” Marquez was asked by prosecutors. His answer: “Yes sir.”
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Marquez told jurors he made his recordings in secrecy; hoping to avoid what could be as many as five years in federal prison for his role in an influence peddling and bribery scheme at the heart of this trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet S. Bhachu wasted no time in asking Marquez, “Did you break the law during your employment Com Ed?”
“Yes sir,” he said. “What crime was that?” Bhachu asked.
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“Conspiracy to commit bribery of Michael Madigan,” Marquez responded.
In particular, Marquez told the jury the utility was interested in legislation that would allow it to upgrade its power grid and install smart meters. It also supported a bill that would make its nuclear power plants less costly to operate.
The government’s case will rely upon hundreds of recordings along with emails between Pramaggiore and the other defendants, who acted as contract lobbyists in Springfield.
“I didn’t expect them to be doing any work for ComEd. I thought they were brought on as a favor to Mike Madigan,” Marquez said when asked about putting them on the subcontractor payroll.
ComEd has already entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department and agreed to pay $200 million dollars to resolve these allegations.
The defendants claim everything they did was nothing more than legal lobbying.
The trial is expected to last another month and a half.
