>>> PROSECUTION RESTED CASE IN THE BRIBERY TRIAL OF THE SO-CALLED COM ED FOUR.

THE CHALLENGES FACING THE MAYOR ELECT.

HERE WITH ALL OF THAT AND MORE IS OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS TEAM.

HARRIS, PROSECUTION RESTED ITS CASE TODAY AND WE LEARNED THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THE COM ED FOUR IS EXPECTED TO TESTIFY.

WHERE DOES THIS STAND?

>> WHERE IT STANDS RIGHT NOW IS WEEKS OF TESTIMONY AND DOZENS OF WITNESSES.

PHONE AND VIDEO RECORDINGS.

THEY WILL BE PEELING BACK ON THIS.

MADIGAN IS PUSHING FAVORABLE -- AND YOU HEARD FROM A LONG TIME MADIGAN SUPPORTER.

HE SAID HE GOT CHECKS FROM THEM.

BUT THE QUESTION IS, DOES THAT CROSSED THE LINE INTO BRIBERY?

IS THERE A SMOKING GUN WHERE SHE SAID, YOU PASSED THIS LEGISLATION FOR US AND WE ARE GOING TO PAY YOUR GUYS.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT EXISTS BUT THE THING THAT IS WORKING IS THE COMPANY ALREADY ADMITTED GUILT TO BRIBERY.

>> I THINK THAT SOMETHING ELSE THAT COULD HELP IS THE CONVERSATIONS.

WHEN YOU HEAR THAT IT JUST SOUNDS CRASS.

REMEMBER, THIS IS A JURY.

THEY HAVE A SPECIFIC ASK BUT WHEN YOU HEAR SOME OF THAT TALK, I THINK IT WILL MAKE THE AVERAGE RESIDENT SAY, WHAT?

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE OF THESE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS THEY WERE HAVING?

THAT MAY WORK IN FAVOR OF THE PROSECUTION.

>> HOW WAS IT THAT DESPITE THE HIGH PROFILE TRIAL, DEMOCRATS DON'T SEEM TO HAVE PAID ANY KIND OF PRICE FOR YEARS IF NOT DECADES OF POLITICAL CORRUPTION.

>> IN FACT, THE MAJORITIES IN THE HOUSE OR EVEN GREATER THAN THEY WERE UNDER MADIGAN BUT A LOT OF THAT IS DUE TO THE STRUCTURE SET UP BY MADIGAN.

I THINK THAT IS A REASONABLE QUESTION AND I DON'T HAVE A GREAT ANSWER.

THERE ARE A LOT OF POSSIBILITIES.

THERE IS THE FACT THAT IF THE DEMOCRATS WERE IN CHARGE, THEY DREW THE MAP.

I THINK THAT THERE IS BLANKET ACCEPTANCE BY THOSE IN ILLINOIS WITH, THIS IS HOW IT WORKS.

I THINK THERE IS ALSO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AT THIS TIME THAT IS REALLY WOUNDED BECAUSE OF THE FORMER GOVERNOR WHO IS NOT BELOVED IN ILLINOIS.

ALSO, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP.

A LOT OF THEM WERE MODERATES IN ILLINOIS AND SUBURBAN VOTERS MIGHT HAVE CONSIDERED THEMSELVES GOP LEANING ARE STAYING AWAY FROM THE PARTY.

>> AND A LOT OF THESE DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS ARE JUMPING OFF OF THE MADIGAN TITANIC.

THEY WERE ABLE TO SORT OF GET THAT STENCH OFF OF THEMSELVES.

AND SAY, THAT IS HIM, NOT US.

>> NOT NECESSARILY.

THIS BEAKER OF THE HOUSE WAS ALMOST HAND-PICKED.

MENTORED BY AND ENLISTED BY MADIGAN.

>> BUT THEY HAD AN ALIGNMENT WITH MADIGAN AS WELL.

>> HEATHER, YOU WERE AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE ABOUT THE DNC BEING ANNOUNCED COMING TO CHICAGO IN 2024.

HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THE FACT THAT THIS WILL BE THE FIRST CONVENTION IN CHICAGO WITHOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF FORMER SPEAKER MIKE MADIGAN?

>> WHAT GOVERNOR PRITZKER HOPES IS THAT THIS WILL SHOWCASE THE NEW ILLINOIS DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

A NEW ERA.

I THINK IT IS HARD TO OVERSTATE THE LEVEL OF CONTROL THAT MADIGAN EXERCISES OVER DELEGATES TO THESE CONVENTIONS.

IT IS A LITTLE BIT IN THE WEEDS FOR PEOPLE BUT THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF EACH PARTY.

IF YOU GET THE CHANCE TO RUN TO BE A DELEGATE, THAT BECOMES PART OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

MADIGAN RAN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE AND NOW IT HAS TO BE REBUILT.

AND, WELL, WE ARE ALSO GOING TO DO THAT ON A NATIONAL STAGE.

>> HE DESPERATELY WANTS TO RUN THIS PARTY AND BE THE HEAD HONCHO.

HE WANTS TO RUN THE PARTY IN ILLINOIS BUT IT HAS NOT WORKED OUT IN HIS FAVOR.

THIS IS HIS CHANCE TO SAY, YOU ARE IN MY HOMETOWN AND I RUN THIS THING.

>> WHAT WILL THAT PROCESS LOOK LIKE, HEATHER?

>> IT IS GOING TO BE REALLY DIFFICULT.

WE DID GET QUESTIONS TODAY, HOW IS CHICAGO GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS CONVENTION DOES NOT SWEEP OUT ON HOUSED PEOPLE.

HOW WILL THE CITY MAKE SURE THAT THIS BENEFITS THE WHOLE CITY AND NOT JUST DOWNTOWN AND THE WEST LOOP.

WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE 1996 CONVENTION.

SO, THEY NEED TO DO ALL OF THAT WHILE CREATING THIS NEW VISION OF PUBLIC SAFETY THAT HE HAS PROMISED.

AGAIN, THAT IS NO SMALL FEAT.

>> PUBLIC SAFETY IS GOING TO BE CENTER STAGE AND YOU BETTER BELIEVE THAT REPUBLICAN PARTIES ARE NOT AS STRONG BUT THEY WILL BE FOCUSING ON CHICAGO.

WE SOUGHT TRUMP CONSTANTLY DO THAT.

THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT ALL EYES ARE ON, PARTICULARLY AS WE ARE LOOKING AT JOHNSON FULFILLING HIS PUBLIC SAFETY PLEDGES.

THEY ARE GOING TO NEED POLICE OFFICERS.

THERE WILL BE HELP FROM SECRET SERVICE AND OTHER UNITS BUT, THESE TWO ISSUES ARE BUTTING UP AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.

>> SO, WHO ARE SOME OF THESE FOLKS.

>> THEY HAVE DEEP TIES TO THE SERVICE INTERNATIONAL EMPLOYEE.

AND THAT SHOULD NOT SURPRISE ANYONE.

THE NAME THAT REALLY STUCK OUT TO ME WAS PATEL.

WHO RAN THE GRASSROOTS ALLIANCE.

SHE SUED THE CITY ON BEHALF OF THE GRASSROOTS ALLIANCE OVER THE GIANT SUBSIDY FOR THE LINCOLN YARD DEVELOPMENT.

THAT, IN AND OF ITSELF, SYMBOLIZES HOW FAR WE HAVE COME TO REPLACE LORI LIGHTFOOT WHO CAMPAIGNED AGAINST LINCOLN YARDS AND THEN SUPPORTED IT.

AND THEN TO HAVE THE SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE MAYOR ELECT BE SOMEBODY WHO WENT SO FAR AS TO SUE THE CITY BECAUSE SHE FOUND IT SO ABHORRENT.

>> I THINK WHAT IS MISSING, THERE IS, WHO IS ON IT AND WHO ISN'T?

IS IT SURPRISING?

NOT PARTICULARLY.

YET, IN TERMS OF, AS WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, THERE IS THIS PRESSURE IN TERMS OF BALANCING THE INTEREST OF NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THE INTEREST OF DOWNTOWN.

THERE YOU GO.

>> WE HAVE ABOUT 30 SECONDS LEFT HERE.

ONE OF THE BIG DECISIONS THAT LIES AHEAD IS PICKING THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHERE THAT PROCESS IS?

>> THE PROCESS HAS KICKED OFF WITH COMMUNITY HEARINGS FROM THE COMMISSION OF CIVILIANS TO PICK CANDIDATES.

JOHNSON HAS SAID, TO SOME EXTENT, SOMEONE WITHIN THE CPD WILL PROBABLY HAVE THE INSIDE TRACK.

AND IT WILL BE A DELICATE BALANCE TO WIN THE TRUST OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY.

AND BRIDGE SOME GAPS HERE.

CERTAINLY, THERE IS SKEPTICISM WITH THE RANK-AND-FILE.

>> BY THE WAY, THAT COMMISSION HAS -- SOMEBODY ELSE .

>> ARE WE NAMING NAMES?

>> AT THE MEETING LAST NIGHT, PEOPLE WERE URGING HIM TO COME BACK INTO THE CHICAGO POLICE