Four former Commonwealth Edison executives and lobbyists pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a long-running federal bribery investigation that increasingly appears focused on Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Former ComEd President and CEO Anne Pramaggiore 鈥� who arguably once was Chicago鈥檚 most powerful female business executive 鈥� and top Madigan adviser Michael McClain were arraigned on charges of bribery conspiracy, bribery and willfully falsifying ComEd books and records.
Also appearing in federal court via video conference to answer those charges were ComEd鈥檚 former top in-house lobbyist, John Hooker, and former company lobbyist Jay Doherty, the one-time head of the City Club of Chicago public affairs organization.
Federal investigators charged the group for their roles in allegedly in Springfield between 2011 and last year that was aimed at influencing Madigan and greasing the legislative skids for the company鈥檚 statehouse agenda.
The company successfully landed a series of big legislative victories that for more than 4 million ComEd customers. The utility has admitted in court documents that it funneled consulting payments to a litany of the powerful speaker鈥檚 allies for doing little or no work for the state-regulated, public utility giant.
The government鈥檚 charges against the group filed represented a dramatic new advancement in cases tied to last summer鈥檚 $200 million deferred criminal prosecution settlement between ComEd and U.S. Attorney John Lausch鈥檚 office.
The company acknowledged engaging in the illicit bribery scheme that involved paying about $1.3 million to members of Madigan鈥檚 vaunted 13th Ward political organization on Chicago鈥檚 Southwest Side.
In exchange for that admission, Lausch鈥檚 office agreed to set aside a single bribery charge against the company that will be dismissed in three years so long as ComEd cooperates in the government鈥檚 ongoing Springfield corruption investigation and engages in no further criminal wrongdoing.
At Wednesday鈥檚 hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Harry Leinenweber began the proceeding by acknowledging that he served in the Illinois General Assembly at the same time as McClain 鈥� albeit as a Republican. Leinenweber said he didn鈥檛 associate with the defendant much during that time period, and they haven鈥檛 seen each other in the four decades since then.
Leinenweber also said his wife served on the board of Constellation Energy before .
鈥淚 don鈥檛 see any basis, personally, for any problem but I wanted to put that on the record,鈥� he said.
No party to the case raised any issues with Leinenweber鈥檚 comments.
McClain and Pramaggiore each face a total of nine criminal counts. Prosecutors charged Hooker and Doherty with six counts. When combined, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of decades in prison if convicted.
Last month鈥檚 indictments have sent shock waves through Illinois鈥� political establishment and have seriously destabilized the granite-like hold on power Madigan has had in Springfield since 1983, when he first assumed the role of speaker.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth 鈥� all Democrats 鈥� have called on Madigan to relinquish his chairmanship of the state Democratic Party, a role he has held since 1998.
And Madigan鈥檚 Republican counterpart, House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, called on Madigan to resign from the House.
鈥淎ll roads lead in this massive and wide-ranging scandal lead to Speaker Madigan,鈥� Durkin said after Wednesday鈥檚 arraignment. 鈥淪peaker Madigan cannot under any circumstance continue to serve in the House of Representatives as Speaker of the House.鈥�
So far, Madigan has repeatedly said he knew nothing about ComEd鈥檚 bribery scheme, which the utility has admitted was intended to influence him. And he鈥檚 shown no signs of stepping aside.
But his record-setting hold on the House speakership appears to be nearing an end as 19 House Democrats, so far, have publicly committed against voting for Madigan to serve another two years as speaker. That leaves Madigan at least six votes shy of the 60 he would need next month to continue on in a role that he has held for all but two years out of the past 38.
Durkin said he is appealing to 15 鈥渞eform-minded鈥� House Democrats to vote for him for House Speaker as more members of Madigan鈥檚 caucus gradually come forward to say they will not be voting for him to remain as speaker after January鈥檚 inauguration. He said Republicans will not be supporting a Democrat for speaker.
In the 50-page indictment involving Pramaggiore and the three others, federal prosecutors made clear their belief that Madigan himself 鈥� repeatedly identified in court papers as 鈥淧ublic Official A鈥� 鈥� played a role in the wrongdoing, though he has not been charged.
鈥淚t was further part of the conspiracy that Public Official A and McClain sought to obtain from ComEd jobs, vendor contracts and subcontracts, as well as monetary payments for various associates of Public Official A,鈥� the indictment read.
Dave McKinney and Tony Arnold cover Illinois politics and government for WBEZ. Dan Mihalopoulos is a WBEZ investigative reporter focused on politics. Follow them on Twitter , and .