Federal prosecutors intend to call U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski to the witness stand next week as they are apparently nearing the end of their case against former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan.
The disclosure that a sitting member of Congress could be called to testify in Madigan’s trial came amid discussion of scheduling issues in the trial Wednesday morning. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu told the judge that prosecutors have been trying to schedule her testimony around votes in Washington, D.C.
Bhachu said the plan is to have Budzinski take the witness stand Monday morning. Bhachu also told the judge that prosecutors could rest their case against Madigan as soon as next week.
Budzinski, a Downstate Democrat, is a former aide to Gov. JB Pritzker. Prosecutors did not explain why she will be called to testify. However, jurors heard testimony about her later Wednesday, as well as about Anne Caprara, Pritzker’s chief of staff .
Prosecutors have also said they intend to call members of Pritzker’s staff to testify about one of the five alleged schemes at issue in Madigan’s trial.
Madigan is on trial for a racketeering conspiracy. He is accused of leading a criminal enterprise designed to enhance his political power and financial well-being. Michael McClain, Madigan’s longtime ally, is also on trial and accused of acting as Madigan’s agent.
Prosecutors allege that Madigan took advantage of then-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis, who was the City Council’s Zoning Committee chair at the time, to steer legal work to Madigan’s private tax appeals law firm, Madigan & Getzendanner.
But Solis was secretly wearing a wire for the FBI in 2017 and 2018, recording his conversations with Madigan and others. On June 20, 2018, he asked for Madigan’s help landing a paid seat on a government board as part of an FBI ruse.
Soon after Solis made his request, Madigan asked for Solis’ help connecting with the developer of Chicago’s Old Post Office, which straddles the Eisenhower Expressway.
The alleged scheme that ensued was ongoing when the Chicago Sun-Times revealed Solis’ undercover cooperation in January 2019, around the time Pritzker first took office. Solis was never appointed to the board seat.
When testimony resumed Wednesday morning, jurors first heard from former Madigan chief of staff Jessica Basham. She read from a Feb. 4, 2019, memo she prepared for Madigan. It indicated that she initially sent information about board recommendations to Budzinski and Caprara.
Basham then described the role both women played in Pritzker’s orbit at the time. Budzkinski had been a sernior adviser to Pritzker. Next, jurors saw how they were included on emails from Basham about Madigan, his recommendations and efforts to meet with Pritzker in the early days of the governor’s administration.
Solis’ name did not appear on “tracking” lists kept by Madigan’s office that were shown to jurors Wednesday, but a prosecutor confirmed with Basham that Madigan continued to make recommendations through July 2019.
Basham also testified that she remains in contact with Madigan, who resigned in 2021, and that she considers him a friend.
A Springfield Democrat, Budzinski was first elected to the then vacant 13th Congressional District seat in 2022, after the district was redrawn, and incumbent Republican Rodney Davis was left to run in another district. Budzinski had advised Pritzker on labor issues, helping to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15, before taking a job with the Biden Administration.
Prosecutors have previously said they plan to call members of Pritzker’s staff to show that Madigan “routinely sought to make recommendations to the governor and his administration concerning appointments” to state boards.
One staffer is expected to testify that, after Pritzker took office, he had weekly meetings with Madigan, in which Madigan would take out a list of recommended board appointments and “methodically” work his way through the list.
“Certain individuals were not hired despite Madigan’s recommendation for a variety of reasons, including … their dubious backgrounds; others who were recommended by Madigan were hired, but at times someone else had also recommended such individuals,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
A second Pritzker staff member is expected to testify that “while candidates recommended by Madigan were not automatically given any position, serious consideration was given to Madigan (and other leaders’ recommendations) because it was important to be thorough and cultivate a good relationship with Madigan.”
