No job at AT&T for 'talkative' Madigan ally – until manager 'got a call,' jurors hear

Edward “Eddie” Acevedo was looking for work in 2017 after serving two decades in the state legislature, but as a jury heard Thursday, no one at AT&T Illinois seemed interested in hiring the former legislator.

Former longtime AT&T lobbyist Stephen Selcke said Acevedo had a tendency to “drink too much” at night in Springfield, becoming “a little aggressive and, to some extent, a little irritable.” – Characteristics that “would not necessarily be ideal”.

But in March 2017, Paul La Schiazza, president of AT&T Illinois, wrote in an email that he had “received a call” and asked his lobbying team to “quickly move on a small contract” for Acevedo.

The push came as the utility was trying to enforce key legislation. Selcke said he believed the request came from a Springfield insider named Michael McClain. And Selcke explained to a jury Thursday why the Acevedo contract was likely so important to La Schiazza.

“My impression was that Mr. McClain made a request [La Schiazza] after an alleged discussion with the speaker [Michael] Madigan,” Selcke testified.

Now Selcke has been called as a key witness in the case against La Schiazza. The former energy company boss is accused by federal prosecutors of bribing Madigan by paying Acevedo $22,500 over a period of nine months through a third party to get an important law passed.

Acevedo, a Southwest Democrat, was once a senior member of Madigan's leadership team in the House. Madigan left the legislature in 2021 and has been charged with organized crime conspiracy since 2022.

“Unfortunately, what was not mentioned in today's testimony is that Edward Acevedo spent 20 years as an Illinois state legislator, a police officer and a tireless advocate for the Latino community,” Gabrielle Sansonetti, Acevedo's defense attorney, told the Sun-Times after the testimony concluded Thursday.

La Schiazza's defense attorneys argued that their client was trying to build and maintain the goodwill of the powerful speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. But with Selcke's testimony, which is expected to continue Friday, prosecutors began to refute that argument.

Selcke's testimony is based on an immunity agreement, prosecutors said.

After explaining to jurors on Wednesday how much power Madigan had in Springfield, federal authorities on Thursday showed them how McClain interfered in AT&T's lobbying efforts in 2017 – even though McClain reportedly quit his lobbying job in 2016.

Late Wednesday, authorities showed jurors a letter McClain had written to Madigan. in December 2016. Although it said that McClain was ending his lobbying career, he wrote that he was “ready” to take on “jobs” for his longtime friend Madigan.

“I stand at the bridge with my musket and stand for the Madigan family,” McClain wrote. “I will never leave your side.”

Former lawmakers have also testified about McClain's boast that he was “close” to the powerful Southwestern Democrat.

Then, on February 16, 2017, La Schiazza sent an email to his team explaining that McClain had reached out. Madigan had assigned McClain to work on AT&T Illinois' top legislative priority as a “special project.” La Schiazza explains.

AT&T Illinois wanted to pass legislation to end the costly requirement to provide landline telephone service to all residents of the state of Illinois.

Two days earlier, McClain had emailed another AT&T employee in Illinois and asked, “Is there even a small contract for Eddie Acevedo?”

It was not until March 28, 2017, that La Schiazza sent word that he had “received a call” asking for money for Acevedo. But in the meantime, Selcke said, he had been taken aside by members of the Republican caucus who had heard that Acevedo was looking for work.

Selcke testified Thursday that he was told that “some members of the Republican caucus would not view our most important legislative initiatives favorably” if AT&T Illinois hired Acevedo. Selcke testified that Acevedo could be “particularly partisan” during his career as a legislator.

“He wouldn't go out of his way to push a Republican-backed bill, although it wouldn't hurt him to do so,” Selcke said.

Selcke passed on the warning he received and told his colleagues in an email: “If we have to do this, we don't want Eddie to register as a lobbyist.”

According to the documents, the utility eventually made nine monthly payments of $2,500 to Acevedo through a firm owned by lobbyist Tom Cullen.

One of Selcke's colleagues even wrote that “a contract like A. Collins' would be the preferred approach.” He was referring to former state Senator Annazette Collins, who landed a contract with AT&T Illinois, Selcke explained.

Collins was sentenced to a year in prison in June for tax fraud. Acevedo served a six-month sentence in 2022 for tax evasion. And McClain was convicted in May 2023 for his role in a bribery scheme involving ComEd. He appealed the verdict and has not yet been sentenced.

However, McClain is due back in court in October on the alleged AT&T Illinois fraud and other charges. Madigan is expected to be tried alongside him.