Convicted former state Rep. Edward “Eddie” Acevedo briefly took the witness stand Monday and contradicted prosecutors’ claim that he did no work for thousands of dollars he was paid by two utilities allegedly trying to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan.
But that apparently differed from what the onetime assistant majority leader previously told authorities and a grand jury. Acevedo told jurors Monday that he couldn’t remember his past comments. He also admitted he’s been prosecuted for tax evasion and wasn’t happy about it.
And he forgot his eyeglasses — a move that seemed to annoy U.S. District Judge John Blakey so much that he threatened Acevedo with contempt if he forgot them again on Tuesday, when his testimony is expected to resume.
“I’ll buy him a pair of glasses and bring it myself,” Acevedo’s attorney, Gabrielle Sansonetti, assured the judge.
In short, Acevedo seemed just as troublesome as predicted in his first 30 minutes on the witness stand in Madigan’s trial. Defense attorneys have warned that Acevedo’s testimony would come at the feds’ “own peril,” but prosecutors have not been deterred.
Madigan is on trial for an alleged racketeering conspiracy, and Acevedo plays a key role in two schemes outlined in the 117-page indictment handed up against Madigan and his longtime ally, Michael McClain. Acevedo has been described to jurors in multiple trials as being “loose-lipped,” belligerent and having a drinking problem.
But this is the first time the former legislative leader has taken the witness stand. Blakey compelled him to testify, ordering that nothing he says can be used against him unless he fails to tell the truth.
The judge also overruled concerns from defense attorneys. Sansonetti says Acevedo has dementia, and Madigan’s attorneys have said his testimony will “be an absolute mishmash on the facts.”
Acevedo again used a walker as he entered the courtroom Monday. Unlike former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis — another high-profile witness who testified against Madigan — the path Acevedo chose to the witness stand took him right by his fellow Southwest Side Democrat’s seat at a defense table.
Acevedo had his back to the courtroom gallery at the time, but Madigan could be seen training his narrowed eyes on Acevedo as his former ally walked slowly by.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu began questioning Acevedo by confirming he once served as a Chicago police officer. Acevedo, 61, told jurors he takes medication for epilepsy and suffers seizures. He also said he has high blood pressure and congestive heart failure — but assured the prosecutor he was lucid and capable of testifying.
Acevedo asked Bhachu to repeat several questions — and he turned his face often to try to hear better.
“I don’t have my glasses but I will do my best,” Acevedo said when asked to look at a transcript of his grand jury testimony. A frustrated Blakey implored him to take a closer look.
“Why don’t you move your face closer to the screen and let me know if you can see that, and if you can’t, let me know,” Blakey said.
Acevedo told the judge he’d rushed out of his house and left his glasses behind. But he said the blurry glimpses of his past testimony failed to refresh his memory.
Prosecutors say Acevedo was paid $22,500 by AT&T Illinois after leaving the Legislature in 2017, allegedly because AT&T was trying to influence Madigan as key legislation moved through Springfield. The feds say Acevedo did no work for the money.
Acevedo testified Monday that he told “anyone who would listen to me” — including Madigan — that he was looking for work as a lobbyist or consultant at the time. He acknowledged that, when AT&T offered him the money, he initially “told them I had frustration that other people were getting way higher wages than I was.”
But when Bhachu repeatedly tried to confirm with Acevedo that he did no work for the AT&T money, Acevedo insisted that “me and my sons were having our own meetings on the side” and “we worked on it together, me and my sons.”
Eventually, Acevedo acknowledged he did not create any “work product” on his own.
Acevedo and two of his sons served short prison sentences for cheating on their taxes in prosecutions related to the Madigan investigation.
When Bhachu asked Acevedo if he told authorities in 2019 that he’d never created any work product for AT&T, Acevedo told the prosecutor, “I don’t remember that, but if you say it, I must have said it.” When Bhachu insisted that he hadn’t done any work, Acevedo said, “Yes I did.”
“I told you,” Acevedo said. “I went to hearings. I went to meetings. And I would always fill in Steve Selcke on what was happening.”
Selcke was an AT&T lobbyist who previously testified in the trial of ex-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza. Prosecutors have indicated they don’t plan to call him in Madigan’s trial, and defense attorneys say it’s because Selcke’s testimony was problematic.
Acevedo was also paid $120,000 in a similar scheme involving ComEd. That’s a topic prosecutors are likely to turn their attention to when Acevedo’s testimony resumes on Tuesday.