(The Center Square) – The criminal case against utility Commonwealth Edison alleging a nearly decade-long bribery scheme involving former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been dismissed.
In the summer of 2020, federal prosecutors revealed a deferred prosecution agreement reached with ComEd where the utility agreed to pay a $200 million penalty for bribing Illinois Statehouse officials in exchange for favorable legislation. The agreement included deferring prosecution of the company in exchange for cooperation in the investigation and prosecution.
Prosecutors later filed charges against former ComEd officials, lobbyists and Madigan. In April, four individuals in the scheme were found guilty in a jury trial. Madigan faces trial next year. He’s pleaded not guilty. Madigan’s former Chief of Staff and House Clerk Tim Mapes faces allegations he lied to investigators next month.
On Monday, ComEd CEO Gil Quiniones said the completion of the DPA and dismal of the charge comes after the company has “fully complied with the deferred prosecution agreement.”
“With the completion of the DPA and dismissal of the charge, ComEd remains committed, at all levels of the company, to the highest standards of integrity and ethical behavior for our business, and to continuing to build the trust of our customers,” Quinones said. “And, as the state transitions to a cleaner energy future, all of our more than 6,300 employees, who work hard to keep the lights on each day, remain focused on continuing to deliver highly reliable, resilient, and increasingly clean power to more than 9 million residents across northern Illinois.”
Last week, prosecutors motioned for a judge in Madigan’s case to deny a motion for dismissal.
“Defendant Michael Madigan was the leader of a corrupt criminal enterprise, the tentacles of which extended from the Office of the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives in Springfield, to the Thirteenth Ward Democratic Organization on the south side of Chicago,” prosecutors said. “For approximately eight years, through the operation of this criminal enterprise, Madigan exploited his position as a high-ranking public official to manipulate the levers of State and local government for the purpose of illegally enriching himself and his associates.”
