Former Illinois House Speaker Madigan Sentenced to 7-and-a-Half Years for Corruption Involving ComEd

Michael Madigan, 83, the previous Speaker of the Illinois Home, was sentenced June 13 to seven-and-half years in federal jail after his conviction on racketeering, bribery and conspiracy charges in February involving funding for the state’s utility grid and the largest electrical utility within the state, CommonWealth Edison. 

Madigan, a Democrat, managed the Speaker’s gavel for all however two years when Republicans briefly held the Illinois Home between 1983 and 2021 when he stepped down from his southwest Chicago seat after being indicted. 

In doing so, prosecutors stated Madigan contributed to a tradition of corruption that finally resulted in recordings being made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of associates of his asking for favors in change for laws involving ComEd and others, which made it to the Home ground for a vote.

“On the very pinnacle of energy in state authorities, defendant Michael Madigan exploited his energy to counterpoint himself and his associates,” Assistant U.S. Lawyer Sarah Streicker stated on the sentencing listening to. “He now stands convicted of 10 crimes, together with a few of the most severe {that a} public official can commit.”

Streicker stated that governors got here and went throughout these 36 years, however Madigan at all times stayed. Wielding energy based mostly on transferring laws ahead included a 2016 charge hike,  Madigan’s longtime confidant Michael McClain allegedly informed then-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore in a Might 18 recorded name that, “We acquired — we’ve gotta kill it, interval,” in reference to a invoice that will have modernized the Illinois vitality grid to permit extra renewable vitality sources for use in it however wouldn’t have benefitted ComEd. Each Pramaggiore and McClain have been individually convicted of racketeering conspiracy. 

Federal District Decide John Blakey stated the sentencing tips for Madigan’s crimes really helpful a sentence of 105 years in jail which he thought-about preposterous. Federal prosecutors requested the decide for 12-and-a-half years. Blakey was not, nevertheless, sympathetic to the arguments of Madigan, who spoke simply earlier than sentencing and requested that he be allowed to stay free to look after his aged spouse, 

Addressing Madigan simply earlier than handing down his sentence, Blakey described Madigan’s testimony on his personal behalf at trial, as “a nauseating show of perjury and evasion. You lied, sir. You lied. You didn’t must. You had a proper to take a seat there and train your proper to silence however you took the stand and also you took the legislation into your individual arms.” Blakey additionally fined Madigan $2.5 million as a part of his sentence.

Madigan is required to report back to federal jail authorities on Oct. 13. Whereas Madigan’s conviction was the best profile case involving ComEd’s political actions ensuing within the utility, a division of Exelon Corp., agreeing to a deferred prosecution and its own $200-million fine, it isn’t the tip of federal prosecutors’ pursuit of the conspiracy. Pramaggiore, McClain and the remainder of the ComEd 4 nonetheless have but to be sentenced. 4 of their 9 prices have been tossed out by a Supreme Court docket ruling however probably the most severe prison conspiracy cost withstood appellate evaluation.

U.S. Lawyer for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew Boutros stated in a press release that the Madigan sentence sends “a transparent message that the prison conduct by former Speaker [Michael] Madigan was unacceptable. Corruption on the highest degree of the state legislature tears on the material of a significant governing physique,” .