Good afternoon, Chicago.

The former general counsel for Commonwealth Edison testified today that he had “reservations” about selecting Juan Ochoa for the utility’s board after a background check turned up some significant political baggage.

But Ochoa had something far more important in his back pocket: the recommendation of House Speaker Michael Madigan.

In one of the central allegations in Madigan’s corruption case, Tom O’Neill, ComEd’s former chief lawyer, testified that the then-powerful speaker wanted Ochoa, the former chief of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, placed in a rare vacant seat on the company’s board in late 2017. He said CEO Anne Pramaggiore was behind the move because Ochoa’s resume came from Madigan.

Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.

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