(The Center Square) – Jury deliberations resumed Tuesday for a fifth day at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago after nearly seven weeks of testimony in the case of four former Commonwealth Edison executives and lobbyists accused of bribing former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Little happened Tuesday morning in Judge Harry Leinenweber’s courtroom on the 17th floor. At one point, a court employee turned on a computer. Later, another court employee tested the image of a pair of glasses on courtroom’s screens. The judge, defense attorneys and federal prosecutors have not appeared in the courtroom since Monday morning when the jury asked a question about the grammar in the jury instructions.
Prosecutors charged former state lawmaker and lobbyist Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and former contract lobbyist Jay Doherty with a multi-year scheme to gain Madigan’s support for legislation that would benefit the utility’s bottom line. The defendants have all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, bribery and willfully falsifying ComEd books and records.
During the trial, prosecutors argued the four gave out $1.3 million in jobs, contracts and payments to Madigan associates over eight years in exchange for favorable legislation for the state’s largest utility in Springfield.
Defense attorneys argued their clients did nothing wrong. They said the conduct was legal lobbying, including efforts to build goodwill with elected officials.
In July 2020, ComEd agreed to pay $200 million 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.
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 alongside McClain that could go to trial in April 2024.
