Defense attorneys in the corruption trial of former House Speaker Michael Madigan on Wednesday attacked the credibility of a key prosecution witness, questioning his motives for cooperating with the FBI and grilling him over attempts to hide money in a divorce and his recent attempted purchase of a gun to shoot rattlesnakes.

The bribery and racketeering trial of former Illinois House Speaker and Democratic Party of Illinois Chairman Michael Madigan is set to resume Tuesday after a four-day weekend. The court was not in session Friday and the federal courthouse in Chicago is closed Monday for Veterans Day.

Fmr. Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan stands trial on federal bribery, conspiracy, racketeering, and wire fraud.

The former ComEd vice president who secretly recorded his colleagues as part of a federal corruption probe began testifying against ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan on Tuesday, the first of what is expected to be multiple days on the stand.

Patrick Cotter, defense attorney for a longtime Madigan ally, spent more than three hours cross-examining former ComEd executive Fidel Marquez, trying to methodically rehabilitate his client.

Seizing on a tactic strengthened by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, defense attorneys in the Michael Madigan corruption trial began their cross-examination of a key witness Tuesday by trying to distinguish between exchanging jobs for official actions and simply currying favor with the formidable ex-House speaker.

Former state Rep. Michael McClain and former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan enter the federal court building in Chicago Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.