The jury in Michael Madigan’s corruption trial has heard many nicknames given to the powerful Democratic House Speaker, from the obvious, like “MJM” or “Mr. Speaker,” to the more esoteric such as “Himself” and “our Friend.”
But on Monday they heard a new one: “Sphinx.”
That was the moniker applied to Madigan by some members of JB Pritzker’s team after Pritzker’s election in 2018, according to U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, who was a top Pritzker aide before her election to Congress in 2022.
The nickname, a reference to the mythical figure of Egyptian pharaohs typically used to convey strength and ferocity, was used in an email shown during Budzinski’s testimony referencing a job recommendation from Madigan for Pritzker’s new administration.
“Attached is the most recent Sphinx list of recommendations ahead of your meeting today,” read the Dec. 4, 2018, email, which was sent from Budzinski to Pritzker and his soon-to-be chief of staff, Anne Caprara. “We have noted these in our process and they are coming thru our portal.”
It’s not the first time Madigan was ever referred to as Sphinx in political circles. In fact, some of the speaker’s own friends and colleagues sometimes called him “the Sphinx from Pulaski Road,” a nod to his 13th Ward headquarters at 65th and Pulaski.
But Budzinski’s testimony was the first the jury had heard of it. And while she confirmed that “Sphinx” was a reference to Madigan, she couldn’t explain why.
On cross examination, Madigan’s attorney Lari Dierks asked if the “Sphinx” nickname was part of the “myth” of Madigan in Springfield.
“I can’t really speak to that. It wasn’t my nickname,” Budzinski testified.
The image of Madigan, a famously Irish Southwest Sider, as a monumental desert colossus with the head of a human, body of a lion, and wings of an eagle brought some levity to an otherwise quick, cut-and-dried day of testimony in Madigan’s trial, which is now in its 10th week.
U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey recessed the trial for the day after only an hour so that the parties could attend services for longtime 7th Circuit Judge Joel Flaum, who passed away last week at age 88.
Testimony resumes Tuesday morning. Prosecutors have said they could rest their case in chief later this week.
Madigan, 82, of Chicago, who served for decades as speaker of the Illinois House and the head of the state Democratic Party, faces racketeering charges alleging he ran his state and political operations like a criminal enterprise.
He is charged alongside his longtime confidant Michael McClain, 77, a former ComEd contract lobbyist from downstate Quincy. Both men have pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.
Budzinski, a Springfield Democrat elected to the U.S. House last year, was senior advisor to Pritzker in his 2018 campaign to unseat Gov. Bruce Rauner and later was a key aide in Pritzker’s new administration.
When she took the stand Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu asked her, “When you’re not testifying in federal court, can you tell the jury what’s your day job?”
“I’m a United States representative,” she said. “I represent the 13th District of Illinois in Congress.”
After Pritzker was elected in 2018, Budzinski became the executive director of the transition committee, helping to “select, interview and hire a number of individuals into state government and for boards and commissions.” Pritzker had the final say on any hires, Budzinski said.
The transition team set up a government portal where any applicants had to sign up, Budzinski said. Other candidates came through LinkedIn and other social media. They also took recommendations from elected officials and others in government.
Budzinski said she was aware Madigan had been “a legislative leader for a very long time,” and that they gave “serious consideration” to any job recommendation that came from him. But she said recommendations from any of four legislative leaders were in no way a slam dunk.
“We had a lot of due diligence,” Budzinski said. “We really took it very serious to vet every single candidate that was recommended.”
Jurors were shown one email from Budzinski to other Pritzker transition staff saying they had a resume from a guy from New York seeking a position with the Illinois Department of Transportation that “should have MJM on it.”
“We need to call him at least and perhaps maybe consider him for number two spot,” Budzinski wrote.
According to the indictment, one of Madigan’s recommendations was then-Ald. Daniel Solis, who was working undercover for federal investigators and asked Madigan to help him get a state board position in Pritzker’s administration as part of an FBI rise.
Jurors have previously watched undercover video in which Solis asked Madigan for help getting on a state board that paid at least $100,000, including either the Labor Relations Board or the Illinois Commerce Commission.
Prosecutors have also presented evidence that Madigan sent Solis information about state boards and commissions in response.
The indictment against Madigan alleges he sat down with Pritzker in December 2018 and mentioned Solis as a candidate for a board seat.
But Budzinski was not asked specifically about Solis in her testimony, which lasted only about 30 minutes.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
