Former GOP governor candidate on ComEd 4 verdict: Madigan has to pay

[May 04, 2023]  By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) – Former state Sen. Darren Bailey is hoping the “ComEd 4” federal corruption trial verdict marks the start of the Springfield he always envisioned.

“I’ve been a part of Springfield for years and this is one of the few times where I’ve seen anyone being held accountable for bad behavior,” Bailey told The Center Square. “I hope the verdict is both the start of the ethics reform movement we need and a precursor of what’s to come for Mike Madigan, meaning he finally has to start to pay for all the harm he’s brought to this state with his machine-style politics.”

Following an eight-week trial in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber and more than 25 hours of deliberations, a federal jury on Tuesday returned guilty verdicts against all four defendants on charges they conspired to bribe then House Speaker Madigan over an eight-year period where more than $1.3 million in contracts and payments were steered toward associates of the longest-serving legislative leader in American history in exchange for his support for the utility’s legislative agenda in Springfield.

Found guilty of charges that included bribery conspiracy and falsification of business records were Former ComEd contract lobbyist Michael McClain, 75, a longtime Madigan confidant; former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, 64; Jay Doherty, 69, who worked as a lobbyist for ComEd for 30 years and served as president of the City Club of Chicago civic forum; and ex-ComEd executive John Hooker, who was widely regarded as the utility’s point-man in Springfield.

The bribery conspiracy count carries up to five years behind bars for each of the four, while the falsification of business records could spell a 20-year maximum sentence. The jury of seven women and five men also found McClain and Pramaggiore guilty on three additional counts of bribery, which each carry up to 10 years in prison.

Madigan and McClain also face a separate racketeering indictment where both have pleaded not guilty and are slated to go on trial early in 2024.

“I’m thrilled to see that justice has been served up until this point, but there’s still more to do,” Bailey said. “We the people are paying a heavy toll for this corruption and it’s been going on for years. I see it as a call for Illinois legislatures, especially Democrats, to finally tighten our standards.”

Despite all the signs, Bailey said he’s convinced there’s only one way true reform can really come to Springfield.

“You’ve already got people like Gov. [J.B.] Pritzker, House Speaker [Chris] Welch and Senate President [Don] Harmon not stepping up to demand the kind of change that’s needed in the wake of this,” he said. “There’s no real call for reform coming from any of them. Until we get these people out of power, the change we all want to see may have to wait even longer.”