Quincy Reporter

Former House speaker Michael Madigan’s right-hand man Michael McClain, a Quincy resident, has been convicted for his part in the ComEd Four bribery scheme. The sweeping probe examined an influence operation connected to Madigan. 

After four days of deliberations, the jury also found guilty former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and lobbyist Jay Doherty, who previously ran the City Club of Chicago. The foursome was convicted of scheming to pay $1.3 million to Madigan-connected people and companies. As part of the scheme, ComEd provided jobs – some of which were no-show – and contracts to those with connections to Madigan who at the time controlled the Democratic Party and had wielded power as the state’s most powerful politician as the longest serving state House Speaker in the nation. 

ComEd, the state’s largest utility, engaged in the scheme to influence Madigan in order to get preferential treatment in the state House. Prosecutors called the foursome "grandmasters of corruption.” ComEd paid a $200 million fine in July 2020 and admitted to the scheme, The Center Square reported. 

McClain previously denied the charges. 

“The Indictment filed today against Mike McClain by the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois is noteworthy in that it is based on many of the same acts that were included in a previous Indictment filed against him in November of 2020,” he said in a statement last year, according to Jason Lewton of WGEM. “The Government simply repackages these allegations under new theories of wrongdoing ... Added to this legal sleight of hand, the Government now, for the first time, seeks more than $2 million dollars in forfeiture from Mike McClain.” 

The statement also noted that the government has failed to seek for justice "to carry out its mission reasonably, equitably, and responsibly."

“For years, the Government has been trying to force Mike McClain to cooperate in its quest against former Speaker Mike Madigan. These latest charges are nothing more than the Government's continued attempt to pressure Mike McClain to do the Government's bidding,” the statement reads. “Mike McClain was innocent of the charges when they were first filed in November of 2020. He remains innocent of the recycled and new charges in this latest Indictment. He will never testify falsely about himself or anyone, no matter how many indictments are brought against him. We will fight to prove his innocence.”  

The trial lasted seven weeks and featured 100 secret audio recordings from wiretaps. McClain a former state representative and longtime Madigan ally, features prominently in those audio recordings. McClain was also caught doing the former speaker’s bidding via email. 

“Mike (McClain) had gone over my head,” former ComEd General Counsel Tom O’Neill said in recent testimony, according to Crain's Chicago Business. 

McClain reached out to fellow defendant Anne Pramaggiore, ComEd’s former CEO via email regarding Reyes’ firm. 

“Well, I hate to bring this to your attention but I must. Sorry. I am sure you know how Valuable Victor is to our Friend,” McClain wrote in an email, Bloomberg Law reported. 

McClain routinely referred to Madigan as “our friend” in his dealings. O’Neill told jurors he felt McClain was invoking Madigan’s name inappropriately. 

“I started to wonder if he was using speaker’s name for impact,” O’Neill told jurors. 

He added that Pramaggiore was deep in Madigan’s pocket. O’Neill noted she said things like "what's important to the speaker is important to ComEd." He also discussed the appointment of Joan Ochoa to ComEd’s board as well as several subcontractors suggested by Madigan who reportedly did no work in exchange for the pay they received from the state’s largest utility provider.

Sentencing has not been decided yet for the four defendants. However, each faces fines as high as $5 million and a maximum of 20 years in jail.

The 81-year-old Madigan was in power as House Speaker from 1983 to 1995 and then from 1997 to 2021. He was an Illinois House member from 1971 to 2021 before stepping down amid scandal. He is charged in a separate filing of 23 counts of public corruption related to the ComEd scandal and is facing a single count of public corruption from a similar scheme with AT&T. Madigan will go on trial in April 2024. Despite being under investigation, Madigan reportedly took part in the 2022 election campaign. Additionally, he transferred the last $10 million from his campaign budget to his defense fund.