Judge to determine sentences of four convicted in ComEd bribery case

[May 04, 2023]  By Brett Rowland | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – A federal judge will decide if the four former Commonwealth Edison executives and lobbyists convicted of bribing former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan will go to prison.

A jury on Tuesday convicted former state lawmaker and lobbyist Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and former contract lobbyist Jay Doherty of a multi-year scheme to bribe Madigan with no-show jobs, contracts and payments to associates in exchange for support with legislation that would benefit the utility's finances.

McClain and Pramaggiore were convicted of nine counts of conspiracy, bribery and willfully falsifying books and records. Hooker and Doherty were convicted of six counts of conspiracy, bribery and willfully falsifying books and records.

That last count, falsifying books and records, carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, Assistant United States Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu said Tuesday after the verdict.

No sentencing date had been set as of Wednesday afternoon.

Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Morris Pasqual declined to comment Tuesday on what his office would recommend at sentencing.

Defendants in the ComEd 4 corruption trial listen as the federal jury reads its verdict. (Courtroom sketch courtesy of L.D.Chukman)

A judge would decide the sentence based on several factors. Federal law requires the judge to impose reasonable sentences based on federal law and advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The guidelines recommend certain punishments for some crimes along with the consideration of a multiple factors, including a pre-sentence, the defendant's criminal history and arguments from prosecutors and defense attorneys, among other factors. The judge also could consider aggravating or mitigating factors, which can include the nature of the crime and if the defendant has expressed regret for the crime, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

U.S. District Court Judge James Zagel sentence former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to 14 years in prison after his conviction on corruption-related charges in 2011 for trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat held by President-elect Barack Obama to the highest bidder. Blagojevich spent eight years in prison before President Donald Trump commuted his sentence. Blagojevich has said he made mistakes, but never broke the law.

In 2006, former Gov. George Ryan was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison after he was convicted of multiple charges related to a license-for-bribes scandal. He served five years in prison and another seven months of home confinement. He was released in 2013.

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.