“This is very clear: We do not want to stand for this sort of corruption,” juror Amanda Schnitker Sayers said during an appearance on “Chicago Tonight.”
Jay Doherty
When jurors Tuesday convicted a quad of Illinois power players on corruption charges, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan wasn’t among them. Madigan wasn’t on trial. But he was at the heart of the case, with a juror telling journalists that Madigan “really did cause all this to happen.”
Ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd lobbyist Mike McClain, retired ComEd executive John Hooker and ex-City Club of Chicago president and former ComEd consultant Jay Doherty were each found guilty of bribery conspiracy, bribery and willfully falsifying the company’s books.
A former precinct chief and longtime ally of ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan testified that for years he received checks from Commonwealth Edison representatives to do “little or no work” as part of an alleged scheme to corruptly influence Madigan.
Juan Ochoa testified at the ongoing trial of the “ComEd Four,” who are accused of corruptly seeking to influence Michael Madigan. Federal prosecutors claimed Ochoa’s appointment to the board was a part of that conspiracy to further garner support from the former speaker.
Fidel Marquez, the government’s witness, continued testifying for the fourth day, now under cross examination from defense attorneys seeking to show how their clients’ actions were above board when they tried to garner Madigan’s support on legislation in Springfield.
Fidel Marquez, the government’s star witness in the “ComEd Four” bribery trial, continued his testimony for a second day Tuesday as he detailed how former utility officials allegedly conspired to corruptly influence Michael Madigan.
Opening statements in the trial of the “ComEd Four” — who are accused of illegally currying favor with former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan — began Wednesday.
Dozens of potential jurors were brought in for questioning in the case against ex-ComEd 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.
The trial of the “ComEd Four” — 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 — will begin this week.
“The sheer number and political stature of the Illinois elected officials and business leaders who were implicated, indicted or convicted in the 2020 is staggering,” University of Illinois at Chicago professor and former 44th Ward Ald. Dick Simpson said.
Jay Doherty has pleaded not guilty to bribery conspiracy charges that accused him of being part of a scheme to reward those loyal to former House Speaker Michael Madigan with money and jobs.
Illinois comes in at No. 3, according to the UIC ranking
The rankings from the University of Illinois at Chicago are unchanged from 2018 — but big corruption trials are on the horizon.
4 defendants plead not guilty to ComEd bribery charges
The main orchestrators of an alleged bribery scheme targeting Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan officially began fighting the charges on Wednesday.
