Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan takes stand in federal corruption trial

The big picture: The testimony was more like a long-ranging sit-down interview about the politician's life than the usual question-and-answer session between a lawyer and their client.

• Madigan talked about his childhood, being assigned to a garbage truck in his youth, and being abused by his alcoholic father before regaling the courtroom with short stories from his political career in Springfield.

Zoom in: He also defended his actions central to this case, including his directive to create legislation to help ComEd build a "smart grid." Prosecutors argue that Madigan gave favorable legislation to the energy company in exchange for jobs for his political cronies.

• Madigan and his defense team used the rest of the time on the stand to counter the prosecution's accusations, including if the former lawmaker ever traded his public office for personal gain.
• Madigan answered "no."

Zoom out: A politician accused of corruption rarely testifies at their trial because they are under oath and the prosecution gets to cross-examine. The testimony can be used against them after the trial for things like appeals and sentencing.

Between the lines: What makes this move even more stunning is that when Madigan was in office, he rarely spoke in public or gave interviews to the press. He has always had a soft-spoken and elusive communication style, which jurors have experienced listening to recorded conversations in the trial.

What's next: Testimony continues on Wednesday.