Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Review is suggesting former House Speaker Michael Madigan seek a plea deal following the convictions of the ComEd Four. 

“Madigan’s new reality may even force him to cut a deal with prosecutors to avoid a trial – admitting guilt in exchange for a shorter prison sentence,” the Illinois Review wrote. “A trial for Madigan and the potential of a guilty verdict could result in a very long sentence – and at 81 years old, he doesn’t have a lot of time.” 

Illinois Review remarked that it comes as no surprise that neither Madigan nor his attorneys offered any comment after the verdict. Madigan "remained virtually silent since leaving office after having served as speaker for nearly 40 years.” 

“But the writing is already on the wall – cut a deal with prosecutors now, or go to trial and risk spending the rest of your life in prison,” Illinois Review suggested to Madigan. “And don’t expect anyone to protect you anymore — those days are over.”

Amanda Schnitker Sayers, a juror in the ComEd Four trial, said Madigan is responsible for the corruption to which ComEd employees and those connected to them succumbed. 

"We're tired of political corruption,” Sayers said after the verdict, according to The Center Square. "We're hoping this is a first step." 

She added, "He really did cause this all to happen.” In response to the defense attorney's argument that the four defendants were legally lobbying, Sayers said the jurors "all agreed that lobbying is necessary ... this is not lobbying.”

Calls for ethics reform have been increasing after former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker along with Madigan’s right-hand man 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. 

The ComEd Four face sentencing in January 2024. 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 to get preferential treatment in the state House. Prosecutors called the foursome "grandmasters of corruption.” ComEd paid a $200 million fine in July 2020 and admitted to the scheme.

The criticism of corruption against state Democrats comes just after former state senator Tom Cullerton was spotted working in Springfield as a lobbyist after serving jail time for taking such a position from the Teamsters.