By Greg Bishop for The Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (IRN) – A new report reveals federal agents sought information about longtime Illinois House Speaker and Democratic Party of Illinois Chairman Michael Madigan as part of a broader probe into ComEd’s lobbying practices.
Chicago Public Radio WBEZ reported the City Club of Chicago responded to a federal subpoena and search warrant for information related to Madigan earlier this year. The search warrant came after federal agents raided the homes and offices of several Madigan allies as part of a wide-ranging probe into possible payoffs and kickbacks. Prosecutors have charged one Chicago alderman, Ed Burke, with corruption, but it’s not clear if that case is related to the ongoing federal probe. No one else has been charged with a crime.
Federal agents last month searched the home and offices of state Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Cicero. A search warrant for Sandoval’s Springfield offices released by Senate Democrats revealed the feds were looking for information related to an infrastructure materials supplier, an energy company, a video gambling vendor, a red-light camera company, ComEd and its parent company, Exelon. Agents also raided several suburban Chicago communities in connection to information about Sandoval and others.
In May, federal agents raided the home of Michael McClain, a former ComEd lobbyist and longtime Madigan ally.
No one has been charged with a crime.
State Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, said the latest revelations seem to “continue a long-standing tradition in Illinois of what looks like public corruption.”
“This is disturbing especially when coming on the heels of the capital bill, which a lot of us supported, which we all think is a good thing for the state of Illinois, coming on negotiations when it comes out of the energy bill when we see the largest utility in the state of Illinois is named in this,” Butler said. “I think it’s troubling.”
Federal agents mentioned ComEd and Exelon in a warrant they obtained to search Sandoval’s offices. It also mentioned several company officials, but not by name.
Exelon, which owns ComEd, revealed it answered a subpoena with information related to Sandoval. A few days later the CEO of Exelon’s utilities businesses, Anne Pramaggiore, abruptly retired.
“I hope my Democrat colleagues are asking some serious questions to the Speaker as to what’s going on,” Butler said. “We’re going to have an opportunity to see if there are any answers come veto session.”
State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, said she doesn’t spend much time with party leadership.
“I don’t get into the fray with all that,” Scherer said. “I come here, I do my job, I go home and I don’t get into all those upper levels and I’m fine not being up there, quite frankly.”
Asked if she still has confidence in Madigan, she said “for right now, I’m just going with the flow and we’ll see how everything pans out.”
“I believe in following the law. I follow the law and I like to see that everyone does,” she said.
Madigan has been the House Speaker for all but two years since 1983. He’s been chairman of the Illinois Democrats since 1998.
Lawmakers return to Springfield on Oct. 28 for the beginning of the fall veto session.