One of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s former top precinct captains testified Tuesday that he believed hundreds of thousands of dollars funneled to him from ComEd were meant to keep him knocking on doors for the powerful Southwest Side Democrat.
Edward Moody, who also once served as a Cook County commissioner and recorder of deeds, collected more than $354,000 between 2012 and 2018, according to testimony in the ongoing trial of four former political power players. The money was allegedly paid by ComEd and delivered to Moody through the utility’s contracts with various firms.
Also on trial are former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and onetime City Club President Jay Doherty. The group is accused of arranging for jobs, contracts and money for Madigan allies in an illegal bid to sway the speaker as legislation crucial to ComEd moved through Springfield.
"I don’t recall him gushing all over us," Moody said of Madigan, "But he knew … It’s what he expected from us." Still, Moody said "you couldn’t compare" the minimal time he spent working for McClain to the campaign work that continued to take up the bulk of his time. Moody repeatedly denied doing much, if any, work for ComEd. He said the payments were made so he’d continue "doing my politics." And he told jurors that he and his wife prepared invoices ahead of time that they later mailed and emailed to the firms sending him money.
In a Feb. 18, 2019 phone call, Marquez told Pramaggiore that he’d learned from Doherty that "all these guys do is pretty much collect a check." She advised him to "make a switch" but also told him to wait until the end of the legislative session.
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