Jurors Hear Madigan Pushed Juan Ochoa for ComEd Board After Winning Luis Gutierrez Support
Ochoa Testifies About Meeting with Madigan and Gutierrez
Michael J. Madigan, the former Illinois House speaker, secured the unprecedented 2016 endorsement of then-U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez. The following year, Madigan found himself in a meeting with Gutierrez and Juan Ochoa, a prominent Latino businessman seeking a slot on ComEd’s board of directors.
Ochoa believed the seat should go to a Latino candidate. He wasn’t impressed with the field lining up for it. And he told a jury Tuesday that he left that meeting feeling he had the support of Madigan.
The Meeting and the Phone Call
It took a while, but Madigan eventually learned from his longtime ally, Michael McClain, that Ochoa would fill the seat. McClain suggested Madigan call Ochoa to give him the news. But Madigan said he’d rather call Gutierrez, who by then was planning to leave Congress.
Gutierrez was “the reason I would talk to Juan Ochoa,” Madigan told McClain. “When I thought he was still gonna be a congressman.”
Now Madigan, who resigned in 2021, is on trial for a racketeering conspiracy, accused of leading a criminal enterprise designed to enhance his political power and reward his allies. Jurors Tuesday heard that July 2018 phone call, which was secretly recorded by the FBI, as prosecutors laid out the lengthy saga in which they contend Madigan pushed for Ochoa to join ComEd’s board as an apparent favor to Gutierrez.
The Process and the Pushback
The process took more than a year. It prompted pushback from Latino leaders such as Martin Sandoval and Iris Martinez, who were Democratic state senators at the time. But jurors also heard how Madigan told McClain he wanted then-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore to keep pushing. They also heard McClain pass along the instruction and Pramaggiore agree to it.
“I will keep pressing,” she said of the pending Ochoa appointment, which didn’t become official until April 2019.
Ochoa’s Testimony
Ochoa took the stand to testify about the episode Tuesday. He explained that Gutierrez had endorsed Madigan for the first time in 2016. That helped Madigan maintain crucial support in his Southwest Side House district, where the Latino population had been growing, though Ochoa didn’t get to explain that to the jury.
Ochoa testified that he prompted the meeting with Gutierrez and Madigan. Todd Pugh, one of Madigan’s defense attorneys, pressed Ochoa on the point Tuesday. He asked Ochoa, “Mike Madigan didn’t reach out to you or Congressman Gutierrez to say, ‘Hey, thanks for helping me out with the election’? That’s not the way it worked, correct?”
Ochoa agreed that wasn’t how it happened.
Conclusion
The trial continues, with jurors hearing more testimony about the events surrounding Ochoa’s appointment to the ComEd board. The prosecution contends that Madigan’s actions were part of a larger scheme to reward his allies and enhance his political power.
FAQs
Q: What is the trial about?
A: The trial is about Michael Madigan’s alleged involvement in a racketeering conspiracy, accused of leading a criminal enterprise designed to enhance his political power and reward his allies.
Q: Who is Juan Ochoa?
A: Juan Ochoa is a prominent Latino businessman who sought a slot on ComEd’s board of directors and was eventually appointed to the position.
Q: Who is Luis Gutierrez?
A: Luis Gutierrez is a former U.S. Representative who endorsed Michael Madigan in 2016, helping him maintain crucial support in his Southwest Side House district.
Q: Who is Anne Pramaggiore?
A: Anne Pramaggiore is a former CEO of ComEd who was involved in the events surrounding Ochoa’s appointment to the board.
Q: Who is Michael McClain?
A: Michael McClain is a longtime ally of Michael Madigan who was involved in the events surrounding Ochoa’s appointment to the board.
