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WTTW News takes you deeper into the stories that matter most in Chicago and beyond. Here's what we have for you today.
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Michael Madigan is depicted in court on Jan. 7, 2025. (Illustration by Cheryl Cook)
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After months of testimony and arguments, a 12-person jury began deliberations Wednesday in the landmark corruption trial of powerful former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his longtime right-hand man Michael McClain. Here's a rundown of what you need to know about the case.
What Are the Charges?
Madigan faces 23 separate charges, including racketeering conspiracy, federal program bribery, wire fraud and attempted extortion. He’s also accused of violating the Travel Act due to his alleged use of interstate communication in furtherance of some of those other crimes.
McClain is charged alongside his longtime ally on the racketeering conspiracy charges, as well as additional counts of wire fraud, bribery and Travel Act violations. Both men have pleaded not guilty.
Corruption Scheme Allegations
Over the months of testimony, federal prosecutors have detailed five separate corruption schemes allegedly orchestrated by Madigan. McClain is also accused of involvement in many of those allegations, though not all.
ComEd Bribery
AT&T Illinois Bribery
Chinatown Parking Lot
Union West
Danny Solis Board Seat
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Mayor Brandon Johnson appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Oct. 8, 2024. (WTTW News)
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Mayor Brandon Johnson accepted gifts of premium whiskey, luxury handbags as well as designer cuff links and shoes without properly reporting them, as required by the city’s ethics ordinance, according to an audit released Wednesday by the city’s watchdog.
When an undercover investigator working for Inspector General Deborah Witzburg asked in June to see the list of the gifts to Johnson on a required official document, they were turned away, in violation of city law. The inspector general has yet to gain access to the mayor’s “gift room” at City Hall in order to “inspect the manner in which gifts are stored, audit the presence of gifts that were purportedly stored in the gift room as stated in the gift log, or to review controls around access to the gift room.”
“When gifts are changing hands — perhaps literally — in a windowless room in City Hall, there is no opportunity for oversight and public scrutiny of the propriety of such gifts,’” Witzburg said in a statement. City ordinance requires all city officials to comply with requests made by the inspector general and make available all records they request “as soon as practicable.” In a letter to Witzburg, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Johnson’s chief of staff, refused to allow the inspector general or her staff to make unannounced inspections of the gifts accepted by the mayor on behalf of the city, telling her it is not required by city law.
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(WTTW News)
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Cook County property owners can now pay the first installment of their 2024 property taxes online, as bills head to their mailboxes, officials said. For the second time since 2021, Cook County officials are sending out the bills on time, which means property owners must pay as scheduled, no later than March 4, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas announced.
The first installment of property tax bills is equivalent to 55% of the total tax paid by the property owner during the previous year. Exemptions are applied to the second installment bills, which are due at the beginning of August. Bills are available at cookcountytreasurer.com and should hit mailboxes this week.
Wait, how are property taxes determined? If you're curious about how Cook County property tax bills are calculated, watch this WTTW News Explains video detailing the process from fair market value to assessments and your final bill.
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Back in the Day: January 30, 1925 - City Council Approves Funds for South Loop Police Station
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On this day 100 years ago—January 25, 1925—Chicago's City Council approved an ordinance issuing bonds worth $2.5 million (nearly $45 million in today's dollars) to build a new police station in the South Loop. Following a referendum vote approving the measure in February, the building at 1121 S. State Street eventually opened in 1928. The Central Police Station and Courts building housed the Chicago Police Department for decades but by the '90s it became "known mostly for broken-down elevators, overflowing toilets and aggressive roaches." “You can size it up: it’s a dump,” said Lillie Yarber, a county employee at 11th and State told the Chicago Tribune, where sewage occasionally rains from the ceiling. “This place needs to come down.” On June 3, 2000, the new Chicago Police Department Headquarters opened at 3510 S. Michigan Avenue, replacing the building at 1121 S. State.
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Arts and Culture Event Recommendations From Marc Vitali
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Each Thursday, WTTW News arts correspondent Marc Vitali highlights the week's must-see cultural events.
The winter theater season in Chicago is a reliable source of heat. Below are three promising productions that are just beginning to boil. (Most are still in previews, so see a show before the critics and tell ‘em what they got wrong.) Think of it as a warm-up for “Chicago Theatre Week,” which gets cooking in February.
“Frida… A Self Portrait” – Writers Theater/Glencoe
Frida Kahlo lived a dramatic and creative life that continues to inspire. Playwright and performer Vanessa Severo tells the story of the complex artist with staging and design that evoke Kahlo’s paintings, including her wedding portrait with husband, muralist Diego Rivera. Through Feb. 23
https://www.writerstheatre.org/Frida-A-Self-Portrait
“A Raisin in the Sun” – Court Theatre
Lorraine’s Hansberry’s portrayal of one family’s fight for dignity is a farsighted classic of American drama. Incredibly, it’s the first production of the play at Chicago’s Court Theatre. From the director of Court’s audacious “Antigone,” this “Raisin” promises to be a must-see. Previews start Jan. 31.
“Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley” – TimeLine Theatre at DePaul University
60 years ago, a historic debate occurred between writer James Baldwin and William F. Buckley, a critic of the civil rights movement. TimeLine Theatre stages it as a living document in an immersive setting on a college campus. A rare chance to see a recreation of Baldwin cleaning Buckley’s clock. Through March 2.
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Where's the best bagel in the Chicago area? Tell us where and why it's your favorite.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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