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.

CHICAGO – Before the sun rose on a cold Wednesday morning in January 2019, Fidel Marquez agreed to a life-altering assignment as a cooperating witness in a criminal case the government was building against his colleagues at electric utility Commonwealth Edison and powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Former ComEd executive Fidel Marquez is expected to testify for a sixth day at the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker and Democratic Party of Illinois Chairman Michael Madigan. Defense attorneys for Madigan and codefendant Michael McClain cross-examined Marquez on Wednesday.

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.

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.

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

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.