Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Carbondale) | Photo Courtesy of Paul Jacobs website
Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Carbondale) | Photo Courtesy of Paul Jacobs website
The “ComEd Four” Trial is underway and thanks to challenges by a pair of news organizations, the public will be able to listen to secret recordings of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan that could show evidence that he was bribed by four Commonwealth Edison executives.
According to a report by the Chicago Sun Times, the recordings will be made available to jurors after the Sun Times and WBEZ made challenges to U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber to have them admitted in trial. WTTW reported that it has taken two years for the “ComEd Four” to be brought to trial. The four include ex-CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist Mike McClain, retired ComEd executive John Hooker and ex-City Club of Chicago president and former ComEd consultant Jay Doherty. They have been charged with conspiracy, bribery and willfully falsifying the books and records. State Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) took to Facebook to address the case.
“The federal government's case against four former ComEd officials began with jury selection in a Chicago courtroom on Tuesday,” Jacobs wrote on March 16 while including a report by the Chicago Sun Times. “The former executives of the energy giant are accused of participating in a decade-long scheme to bribe and influence former Speaker Mike Madigan, who himself has been indicted on bribery, fraud, and racketeering charges.”
Jacobs was elected in 2020 and serves on the Tourism Committee and Higher Education.
The Chicago Sun Times reported that the first day of the trial included a decision by the judge to allow the secret recordings, and that his allies be released after they are heard by jurors. That day Leinenweber questioned 94 potential jurors.
On March 17, ABC Chicago 7 wrote that the first day focused on “establishing former House Speaker Mike Madigan as the one person during his tenure who could make or break a piece of legislation, wrote the rules that ran the House and would substitute committee members if he knew a particular member was going to vote against his wishes.” There were several former state representatives who testified in court.
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