(The Center Square) – A U.S. appellate court has ordered two defendants in the ComEd Four case to be released pending a new trial.
Hours after oral arguments began on Tuesday at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals directed the federal government to release former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore on bond pending a new trial. The appellate court also ruled that codefendant Michael McClain is entitled to bond because “he is not likely to flee or pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community” and because the appeal raises “a substantial question” that will result in an order for a new trial.
“We therefore also REVERSE the district court’s denial of McClain’s motion for bond pending resolution of his appeal. Both Pramaggiore and McClain are entitled to release,” the appeals court judges wrote in the order filed on Tuesday.
Pramaggiore and McClain were convicted of conspiracy, bribery and falsifying records at the ComEd Four trial in 2023. Government attorneys alleged that Pramaggiore, McClain, John Hooker and Jay Doherty engaged in a scheme to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
On Dec. 29, McClain began serving a two-year prison sentence at a federal medical facility and minimum security camp in Lexington, Kentucky. Pramaggiore also began serving a two-year sentence last year.
In a separate but related case, three different Seventh Circuit judges heard oral arguments last week in Madigan’s appeal of his conviction on 10 corruption-related counts. McClain was also charged in the case but the jury did not convict the speaker’s longtime associate on any of 23 counts after a four-month trial.
The government alleged that Madigan and McClain used Madigan’s public office to secure jobs involving little or no work for their associates by advancing legislation favorable to ComEd. The Seventh Circuit took Madigan’s appeal under advisement last week but did not indicate when a ruling might be expected.
