Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan Referenced in Com Ed Deferred Prosecution Agreement
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced that "Commonwealth Edison Agrees to Pay $200 Million to Resolve Federal Criminal Investigation Into Bribery Scheme." And that: "ComEd Admits Arranging Jobs and Contracts for Political Allies of High-Level State of Illinois Official."
The release goes on to say: "CHICAGO — Commonwealth Edison Company (“ComEd”), the largest electric utility in Illinois, has agreed to pay $200 million to resolve a federal criminal investigation into a years-long bribery scheme, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago announced today.
The release goes on to say: "CHICAGO — Commonwealth Edison Company (“ComEd”), the largest electric utility in Illinois, has agreed to pay $200 million to resolve a federal criminal investigation into a years-long bribery scheme, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago announced today.
The criminal investigation of ComEd is being resolved with a deferred prosecution agreement under which ComEd admitted it arranged jobs, vendor subcontracts, and monetary payments associated with those jobs and subcontracts, for various associates of a high-level elected official for the state of Illinois, to influence and reward the official’s efforts to assist ComEd with respect to legislation concerning ComEd and its business. The U.S. Attorney’s Office today filed a one-count criminal information in U.S. District Court in Chicago charging ComEd with bribery. Under the agreement, the government will defer prosecution on the charge for three years and then seek to dismiss it if ComEd abides by certain conditions, including continuing to cooperate with ongoing investigations of individuals or other entities related to the conduct described in the bribery charge."
Com Ed's deferred prosecution agreement states (page 21): "Public Official A is the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and the longest serving member of the House of Representatives. ComEd understood that, asSpeaker of the House of Representatives, Public Official A was able to exercise control over what measures were called for a vote in the House of Representatives and had substantial influence and control over fellow lawmakers concerning legislation, includinglegislation that affected ComEd."