There are benefits to the prolonged nature of federal prosecutors’ work trying to put people in jail for connections to the broad allegations of bribery implicating ComEd and government officials, resulting in legislation beneficial to the utility (and therefore detrimental to the rest of us as either customers, taxpayers or both).
One is the consistent reminder of the many rights afforded to defendants in the legal system (and the earning power of high-powered attorneys). Another is the chance to look at essentially the same story time and again and consider old thoughts in a new light.
Last week, Hannah Meisel wrote for Capitol News Illinois about a sentencing request for Mike McClain, the longtime adviser to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and “marquee defendant in the 2023 ‘ComEd Four’ trial,” per Meisel, as well as a defendant in Madigan’s trial.
Defense attorneys repeatedly insist McClain committed only “legal and constitutionally protected lobbying. Simply put, over almost a decade, Mr. McClain passed along and advocated for a handful of job recommendations from Madigan because of Madigan’s position both as an influential member of the General Assembly and, in no small measure, because Madigan was Mr. McClain’s old and close friend,” McClain’s attorneys wrote.
Serving as a professional reference or suggesting a friend hire a friend is just networking. But knowing the job is a sham or lying about someone’s qualifications is never above board. The feds have long insisted McClain knew about quid pro quos.
What strikes me today is wondering how few of us helping our own friends have ever been even remotely close to committing federal crimes. Anyone?
SHOW ME ABROGATION: I’ve shared a few updates about the status of a citizen-led effort in Missouri to change state labor laws. The final word is in, and the will of the people has been undone.
After a petition drive last summer, about 58% of voters in November approved a referendum guaranteeing workers would accumulate an hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. That change took effect in May, but Republican lawmakers had already started moving House Bill 567 to repeal the new policy. Gov. Mike Kehoe signed off late last week, killing the program by August. In addition to the sick pay clause, the bill also thwarted a provision linking the state’s minimum wage to Consumer Price Index adjustments.
In Illinois, the majority party tends to pull strings to keep ideas they dislike off statewide ballots in the first place, but the result is the same: voters don’t get the changes they support. Even though the government exists through the power the people approve, it often seems elected officials aren’t especially interested in truly sharing authority.
• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.
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