The final two alternates were selected Monday, meaning opening statements in the trial of Madigan and his longtime confidant Michael McClain went forth at the Dirksen Federal Building with a 12-person jury and six alternates.

One additional juror was seated Thursday at the Dirksen Federal Building, where Madigan and his longtime confidant Michael McClain stand accused of racketeering, bribery and wire fraud.

Eleven jurors were picked through the first three days of the selection process last week, but so far no new members have been chosen through two days of questioning this week.

In-person jury selection officially began Wednesday morning in the Dirksen Federal Building, where Madigan and his longtime confidant Michael McClain face charges of racketeering, bribery and wire fraud.

Attorneys for the former Illinois House speaker and his longtime confidant met with prosecutors Tuesday afternoon to iron out any final wrinkles before the trial gets into swing.

The longtime House speaker, along with his longtime confidant and current co-defendant Michael McClain, are finally set to go to trial this week, more than two and a half years after the men were first charged in a bombshell federal indictment that accused them of racketeering, bribery and wire fraud.

District Judge John Blakey on Wednesday denied a defense motion seeking to toss out a handful of charges, including bribery counts, after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling narrowed the federal bribery statute — known as “section 666” — in a ruling earlier this year.

After nearly 15 hours of deliberation over three days, the jury’s foreperson told U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman that she was “absolutely positive” she and her fellow jurors could not find a way out of their stalemate.

It’s up to a jury to decide whether Paul La Schiazza, who retired from AT&T in 2019, intended that contract as a bribe to then House Speaker Michael Madigan in order to ensure the passage of AT&T’s prized legislation, as the feds have alleged. 

Former AT&T Illinois president Paul La Schiazza is accused of bribing former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for the passage of legislation that was important to AT&T.

Former AT&T Illinois president Paul La Schiazza is accused of bribing former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for the passage of legislation that was important to AT&T.

Former AT&T Illinois president Paul La Schiazza is accused of bribing former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for the passage of legislation that was important to AT&T.

Former AT&T Illinois president Paul La Schiazza is accused of bribing former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan — a politician he described as “all-powerful” and “King Madigan” in email snippets shown to the jury — in exchange for the passage of legislation that was important to AT&T.

Prosecutors late Tuesday filed their response to Madigan’s co-defendant, Michael McClain, whose attorneys last month filed a motion seeking to sever his case from Madigan’s before the men are set to go to trial on racketeering charges later this year.

Paul La Schiazza, the former head of AT&T Illinois who was charged in 2022 with attempting to bribe ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan, is now seeking to have some of his charges tossed out.

But any decision on a new trial or verdict is still months away, as the briefing schedule extends into mid-November. The four defendants were convicted back in May 2023.