Illinois voters being asked a variety of local ballot questions

[November 05, 2024]  By Kevin Bessler | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Prosecutors played wiretapped calls Monday showing how those around former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's ousted staffer Kevin Quinn tried to help him financially.

Quinn worked for Madigan's office before he was booted in early 2018 over allegations he sexually harassed another worker. Kevin Quinn is the brother of Chicago Ald. Marty Quinn (13th Ward).

Madigan's closest confidante and co-defendant Michael McClain reached out to a number of people close to Madigan and Kevin Quinn to try to provide him with a contract that would pay Kevin Quinn up to $6,000 a month through the law office of former state lawmaker John Bradley. The goal was to provide Kevin Quinn with some money for living expenses after he was fired for sexual harassment. The jury in the case doesn't know why Kevin Quinn was pushed out.

McClain wanted to get Kevin Quinn about six months of paychecks until he got back on his feet.

When McClain approached Madigan about the idea – paying a longtime campaign worker who was just fired for sexual harassment during the heart of the #MeToo movement – Madigan wanted no part of the plan.

"I think I oughta stay out of it," Madigan said in a wiretapped phone call played for the jury on Monday, the 16th day of his public corruption trial.

Former Democratic Party of Illinois campaign worker Alaina Hampton brought allegations against Quinn before he was fired. She later sued Madigan's organization for not giving her additional campaign assignments after reporting Quinn.

The testimony comes as federal prosecutors continue to lay the foundation for their case against Madigan and McClain.

A federal lawsuit Hampton filed in 2018 alleged that around August 2016, Quinn started “severe and pervasive sexual harassment” with repeated calls, some late at night, and dozens of text messages. The unwanted text messages continued even after Hampton repeatedly told Quinn to stop, according to the lawsuit and copies of text messages included in the court filing.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan walks to the federal courthouse in Chicago on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. - By Brett Rowland | The Center Square

The Democratic Party of Illinois and political committees controlled by then-Speaker Madigan paid $275,000 to settle the lawsuit. The committees included Friends of Michael J. Madigan and the 13th Ward Democratic Organization. In addition to serving as Illinois House Speaker and chairman of the state’s Democratic Party, Madigan was also 13th Ward committeeman and chairman of the 13th Ward Democratic Organization.

ComEd agreed to pay $200 million in July 2020 to resolve a criminal investigation into a years-long bribery scheme focused around Madigan. As part of a deferred prosecution agreement, ComEd admitted it arranged $1.3 million in jobs, vendor subcontracts and payments to influence Madigan. AT&T Illinois agreed to pay $23 million as part of its own deferred prosecution agreement in 2022.

Madigan served in the Illinois House from 1971 to 2021. He served as speaker of the Illinois House from 1983 to 1995 and again from 1997 to 2021. He wielded additional power as chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.

Madigan, who resigned after losing the House speakership in January 2021, faces 23 counts of racketeering, bribery and official misconduct.

He has pleaded "not guilty."

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