Lobbyist Will Cousineau is expected to make his second appearance on the witness stand in federal court as prosecutors on Tuesday attempt to build their case in the Tim Mapes perjury trial.
Cousineau worked closely with Mapes for years as a top political guru on former Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan’s staff and stayed within a small circle of advisers while Madigan remained in power.
Cousineau’s testimony is highly anticipated because he already showed that he can be a valuable witness for the government in the “ComEd Four” case earlier this year, which ended with the convictions all defendants on bribery-related counts, including Madigan confidant Michael McClain, a longtime ComEd lobbyist.
Cousineau testified in the ComEd Four trial about Madigan’s behind-the-scenes efforts that helped ComEd pass legislation favorable to the giant utility’s bottom line.
[ Former top Michael Madigan aide on trial: What you need to know — and what’s next for Tim Mapes ]
Now prosecutors are seeking to have Cousineau testify about a 2014 email among Madigan’s inner circle that discusses a report by the legislative inspector general about Madigan’s moves to help political allies with government positions at Metra, the suburban commuter train service.
Mapes allegedly forwarded the memo to Cousineau and others and called for a high-level meeting.
Mapes, McClain and Cousineau all participated in the meeting, according to prosecutors, who want to use the episode as an example of how Mapes was well aware of McClain’s intricate role in Madigan’s government and political operations.
[ Tim Mapes perjury trial: Evidence seen and heard by the jury ]
Mapes, 68, of Springfield, is charged with perjury and attempted obstruction of justice. The latter charge calls for up to 20 years in federal prison, while lying to a grand jury carries a five-year maximum prison sentence.
Prosecutors accused Mapes of lying in his March 2021 grand jury testimony about his knowledge of the political activities of Madigan and McClain, both before and after Madigan ousted Mapes in June 2018 in a #MeToo scandal.
Mapes was one of a string of Madigan aides caught up in #MeToo issues in 2018, prompting fear among Madigan supporters that it could cost him the speakership. He was eventually forced out as the ComEd scandal began to engulf him. Madigan, the longest serving leader of any legislative chamber in American history, lost his speakership in January 2021 and soon resigned the House seat he had held for more than 50 years.
In 2014, a secret report put together by the legislature’s watchdog in the wake of a Metra scandal explained in detail how Madigan navigated the intersection of public business and ward-style patronage through his Southwest Side office and Illinois Capitol suite.
The unflattering analysis by then-Inspector General Thomas Homer was based on interviews with Madigan’s political allies, government officials and the speaker himself.
The confidential report, disclosed by the Tribune, contained an account of Metra’s chairwoman entering Madigan’s Capitol office to talk about state issues and leaving with a yellow Post-it note bearing names of two workers the speaker wanted to see promoted.
In another meeting, Metra lobbyist Tom Cullen, who testified earlier in the Mapes trial, was spotted leaving the speaker’s office with two resumes. Yet another time, Madigan simply called the cellphone of one of his “better” precinct captains to tell him about a state job.
The report, which was never officially released, gave a rare glimpse into Madigan’s thoughts on getting people government jobs and raises. In an interview with Homer, Madigan was quoted as speaking highly of both the work-related credentials and the political experience of one 13th Ward operative the speaker backed for a raise.
“You can understand that there are many people that are involved with me and campaigns and community service,” Madigan said, according to the report. “Among these many people, some are better than others. (He) happens to be one of those who is better than others.”
The report is the product of an investigation Madigan himself requested as a scandal unfolded surrounding the ouster of then-Metra CEO Alex Clifford and the severance package he took with him that was worth up to $871,000.
The legislative inspector general was tasked with looking into whether Madigan’s actions in the high-profile scandal created pressure that contributed to Clifford’s departure — a notion Madigan denied through an attorney, according to the report.
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Cousineau and Cullen have turned up in other controversial moments. They were among five utility lobbyists who sent checks to Kevin Quinn, a longtime Madigan aide ousted from his government and political team in 2018 over a headline-grabbing sexual harassment scandal. McClain orchestrated the payments to be made through contracts he and the other lobbyists set up for Quinn.
At the time, a Madigan spokeswoman sought to portray the speaker as “not a part” of the group. But court records, citing a phone call between Madigan and McClain, alleged Madigan knew it was happening–undermining his attempt to separate himself from the effort to give Quinn a soft financial landing.
On Monday, a former FBI agent who headed the blockbuster corruption probe against Madigan likened his style as one more fitting to the head of an organized crime family than a legitimate political operation.
“Mr. Madigan ran his organization, as close as I can compare it to, almost the head of a mafia family,” former Special Agent Brendan O’Leary testified, noting that Madigan rarely used the phone, texts or emails to communicate orders.
“The ability for us to hear about what happened generally came down to the people on the inside being honest, and that is what we relied on,” O’Leary said.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
rlong@chicagotribune.com
