Prairie State Wire

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy is cheering the recent conviction of the ComEd Four on charges they schemed to bribe former House Speaker Michael Madigan. 

“Finally, we are starting to see Illinois Democrats held accountable for their corrupt actions. After decades of Democratic insiders putting their personal interests ahead of Illinois residents, it’s now clear that the Madigan Democrat machine corrupted Illinois State government,” Tracy said in a press release. “Former Speaker Madigan may be gone, but we can’t forget that Illinois Democrats across the state – from Gov. JB Pritzker on down – supported, enabled and kissed the ring of Speaker Madigan.” 

ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker, along with Madigan associate Michael McClain and lobbyist Jay Doherty, who previously ran the City Club of Chicago, were convicted of scheming to pay $1.3 million to Madigan-connected people and companies. As part of the scheme, ComEd provided jobs – some of which were no-show – and contracts to those with connections to Madigan, who at the time controlled the Democratic Party, and had wielded power as the state’s most powerful politician as the longest-serving state House Speaker in the nation. 

ComEd, the state’s largest utility, engaged in the scheme to influence Madigan in order to get preferential treatment in the state House. ComEd paid a $200 million fine in July 2020 and admitted to the scheme, as reported by The Center Square.

Sentencing has not been determined yet for the four defendants. However, each faces fines as high as $5 million and a maximum of 20 years in jail.

The 81-year-old Madigan was in power as House Speaker from 1983 to 1995 and then from 1997 to 2021. He was an Illinois House member from 1971 to 2021 before stepping down amid the scandal. He is charged in a separate filing of 23 counts of public corruption related to the ComEd scandal and is facing a single count of public corruption from a similar scheme with AT&T. Madigan will go on trial in April 2024. 

Despite being investigated, Madigan reportedly participated in the 2022 election campaign. Additionally, he transferred the last $10 million from his campaign budget to his defense fund.