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The four are accused of a multi-year scheme to gain former
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s backing for legislation
that would benefit the utility's bottom line.
Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd lobbyist John
Hooker, former ComEd consultant Jay Doherty and former lobbyist
and state lawmaker Michael McClain have all pleaded "not guilty"
to conspiracy, bribery, and willfully falsifying ComEd books and
records.
Tuesday will mark the first time the four defendants appear in
court after being indicted in November 2020. The trial is
expected to run for six to eight weeks at the Everett McKinley
Dirksen United States Courthouse in Chicago.
ComEd, the state's largest electric utility, agreed to pay $200
million in July 2020 to resolve a criminal investigation into
the years-long bribery scheme. As part of a deferred prosecution
agreement, ComEd admitted it arranged jobs, vendor subcontracts
and payments in a bid to influence Madigan.
Jurors won't hear about that 38-page agreement at trial. Judge
Harry Leinenweber granted a motion to keep that agreement out of
the trial. Defense attorneys had argued "allowing the jury to
learn of ComEd's agreement to pay $200 million would severely
prejudice defendants because jurors may conclude that ComEd
thought that its officers committed a very serious crime if they
paid a $200 million fine," according to pre-trial motions.
The judge also ruled that prosecutors can't call an expert
witness to explain the Chicago political machine. Leinenweber
said the jury doesn't need an explanation and that a detailed
history of the corruption of the Chicago political machine could
prejudice the jury regarding the four defendants.
Madigan served in the Illinois House from 1971 to 2021. From
1997 to 2021, he served as speaker of the Illinois House. He
wielded additional power as chairman of the Democratic Party of
Illinois. Madigan, who resigned after losing the House
speakership in January 2021, has been charged with 23 counts of
racketeering, bribery and official misconduct in a separate case
that could go to trial in April 2024. He has pleaded "not
guilty."
Brett Rowland is an award-winning journalist who
has worked as an editor and reporter in newsrooms in Illinois
and Wisconsin. He is an investigative reporter for The Center
Square.
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