Michael Madigan

Northern Illinois lawmakers called for changes to Illinois’ political system following the conviction of three ex-lobbyists and the former Commonwealth Edison CEO in federal court this week.

A federal jury on Tuesday convicted three ex-lobbyists and the former CEO of electric utility Commonwealth Edison for their involvement in an alleged bribery scheme aimed at longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

“Use your common sense,” U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu said while wrapping up the government’s final rebuttal in the trial’s closing arguments.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s name has been invoked countless times throughout the trial as the subject of ComEd’s alleged 7½-year bribery scheme.

After nearly six weeks, a federal jury has heard almost all the evidence in the bribery trial of three ex-lobbyists for electric utility Commonwealth Edison and its former CEO who are accused of bribing former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore to take rare – and risky – step of defending herself to jury.

Political worker had contract passed around between multiple ComEd lobbyists.

Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, along with three ComEd ex-lobbyists, stands accused of orchestrating a years-long bribery scheme to influence former House Speaker Michael Madigan with jobs and contracts for his allies in exchange for help with the utility’s legislative agenda.

Madigan confidant Mike McClain “had pretty free access” to the offices in Madigan’s suite on the third floor of the state Capitol building in Springfield, according to testimony of Commonwealth Edison's former top attorney.

Jurors in the ComEd bribery case heard 16 more recordings from Mike McClain’s wiretapped phone in 2018 and 2019, along with testimony from one of the FBI agents charged with investigating Madigan as far back as 2014.

Government lawyers played several recordings of calls from Mike McClain’s cell phone that they had wiretapped in 2018 and 2019. They included a call where his directives from former House Speaker Michael Madigan were confirmed by the Democratic leader himself.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan isn’t set to go on trial for racketeering and corruption charges until next summer, but his decades of power in Illinois government and politics loomed large Wednesday as opening arguments got underway in a related case.

Jury selection has begun at a federal trial in Chicago that could offer an inside look at pay-to-play politics in Illinois that prosecutors say involved the state’s largest electric utility and one of the state’s most powerful politicians at the time.

The anniversary comes roughly two years after Michael Madigan’s fellow Democrats forced him to cede the title of longest-serving speaker of any legislature in U.S. history.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his longtime political ally Michael McClain entered not guilty pleas Tuesday to bribery and corruption charges involving utility giant Commonwealth Edison and telecommunications company AT&T Illinois.