Federal prosecutors said power company ComEd agreed to pay $ 200 million to settle a federal criminal investigation into a long-running bribery scheme involving Madigan. They say the company admitted that from 2011 to 2019, it organized vendor jobs and subcontracts “for multiple associates of a high-level elected official for the state of Illinois.”
The United States Attorney’s Office identified the high-level elected official as “Public Official A” in a press release. A deferred prosecution agreement for ComEd filed in federal court states that “Public Official A” is the speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, but Madigan, a Chicago Democrat who is the oldest speaker of the House of Representatives in Modern American history is not mentioned by name.
“The speaker has a lot to answer for, to the authorities, to investigators, and most importantly, to the people of Illinois,” Pritzker said during a stop in the Chicago suburbs. “If these allegations of wrongdoing by the speaker are true, there is no doubt that he will have betrayed public confidence and must resign.”
US Attorney John Lausch said at a press conference that the ComEd deal “speaks for itself.”
“It also says a lot about the nature of the very stubborn public corruption problem we have here in Illinois,” he said.
Lausch did not comment on the identity of Public Official A, saying that his office does not identify the people if they have not been charged. But he said the investigation is “vibrant” and will continue, and asked people with information to contact the FBI.
Former US Attorney Phil Turner, now a Chicago defense attorney, said the government has likely haunted Madigan for years, and with ComEd’s accusations, he found “something really solid” to contact him.
“To put it bluntly, they come for him,” said Turner. “They will have some people who are very credible. With the bribes, there is a trace of money, good documentation, and the testimony of the witnesses corroborated by the documents can make the case extremely solid.”
In the press release, prosecutors said Public Official A controlled what steps were required for a vote in the Illinois House of Representatives and exerted substantial influence on lawmakers regarding legislation affecting ComEd. “During the time of the scheme, the Illinois Legislature considered legislation that affected the company’s profitability, including the regulatory processes used to determine the rates for the state’s largest electric utility-charged customers, they said.
The alleged bribery scheme was orchestrated “to influence and reward the official’s efforts to assist ComEd with respect to the legislation regarding ComEd and its businesses,” prosecutors said. That included organizing jobs and supplier contracts for Madigan’s allies and workers, even for people in his politics. The operation, which did little or no work, appointed a person to the company’s board at Madigan’s request and interned with students in his Chicago neighborhood.
In October, WBEZ reported that Anne Pramaggiore, CEO of ComEd’s parent company Exelon, had abruptly quit her job as the company’s ties to a federal investigation appeared to be deepening. The Chicago Tribune reported in December that Madigan was the subject of investigations in the corruption probe that had already involved several of Illinois’ top Democrats.
More than half a dozen Illinois Democrats, including some former Madigan confidants and allies, have been charged with crimes or officers have raided their offices and homes.
Madigan, 78, who found himself under the political machinery of the late Mayor Richard J. Daley and considered him a mentor, was elected to the House of Representatives in 1970. He assumed the position of speaker in 1983 and has held the hammer for all, but two years later, building a reputation as a cunning strategist, patience, and outwitting his political rivals. In 2017, he broke the 32-and-a-half-year record held by a mid-century South Carolina Democrat to become the longest-serving state House Speaker in the history of the United States.
Madigan also controls four campaign funds and millions in contributions, allowing him to wield considerable power at the ballot box and on the State Capitol. But Possley said he has done nothing wrong.
“The speaker has never helped someone find a job in the expectation that their employer will not ask the person to do the job, nor do they expect to provide anything to a potential employer if they decide to hire a person he recommended,” he said. in the statement: “He has never made a legislative decision on inappropriate grounds and has committed no crime here. Any claims to the contrary are unfounded.”
The ComEd investigation, which accuses the company of one count of bribery, is the latest investigation of public corruption in a state where four of the last 11 governors have been sent to prison and several state lawmakers and members of the City Council of Chicago have been charged. , or cooperated with police investigations.
“Even for a state with a history of corruption, this is unprecedented,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider.
Under the deferred prosecution agreement, which has yet to be approved by a judge, the government will defer prosecution for the charge for three years and then try to dismiss it if the utility company “meets certain conditions, including cooperation with investigations. ongoing of individuals or other entities related to the conduct described in the bribery charge. “
Lausch said ComEd has provided “substantial” cooperation in the investigation. Under the terms of their agreement, the company will continue to cooperate until all investigations and prosecutions are completed.
Exelon CEO Christopher Crane said the company “acted quickly to investigate” when it learned of inappropriate conduct and concluded that “a small number of high-level ComEd employees and outside contractors” are no longer working for the company. they orchestrated the misconduct.
“We apologize for past behavior that did not live up to our own values, and we will make sure this does not happen again,” he said.
