Illinois state Rep. Bob Rita is no longer expected to testify Monday morning in the corruption trial of ex-Speaker Michael Madigan.
Rita had taken the witness stand for a few minutes Thursday and was expected to continue Monday morning. Instead, proceedings began with lengthy sidebars and a recess. When jurors finally got back to the courtroom just before 10 a.m., U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey told them Rita’s testimony would be “taken out of order.”
Jurors then began to hear further wiretapped recordings between Madigan and his co-defendant, longtime ally Michael McClain.
After several recordings, former ComEd general counsel Tom O’Neill was called to the stand. O’Neill testified last year about being pressured by McClain to hire a law firm headed by clout-heavy Democratic political operative Victor Reyes. At the same time, the utility was trying to win Madigan’s support on key legislation in Springfield.
As testimony resumed without him, Rita was still standing with his attorney in the hallway near the courtroom.