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Chicago Tribune
11-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Michael Madigan, ComEd and corruption: How the investigation into the ex-Illinois Speaker unfolded
A federal jury convicted Michael Madigan on Feb. 12, 2025, of multiple federal charges including bribery conspiracy — but jurors deadlocked on other charges in the wide-ranging indictment, including the marquee racketeering conspiracy count. Madigan was first outed as 'Public Official A' in court records in a deferred prosecution agreement filed in July 2020 where the public utility Commonwealth Edison acknowledged it had showered the speaker with various rewards in exchange for his assistance with its legislative agenda in Springfield. Among the perks were do-nothing jobs for Madigan's top political cronies, college internships for students in his 13th Ward power base, legal business for political allies and the appointment of his choice for the state-regulated utility's board of directors, according to the allegations. The Dishonor Roll: Meet the public officials who helped build Illinois' culture of corruptionHe resigned from the Illinois house and also resigned as chairman of the state Democratic Party in February 2021, after spending 36 years as House speaker and a half-century in the Illinois House. The embattled 79-year-old lawmaker released a lengthy statement on Feb. 18, 2021. Madigan was indicted twice in 2022 on charges tied to the ComEd conspiracy as well as similar allegations involving AT&T. He's also charged with trying to pressure developers in Chinatown to steer business to his private law firm. He pleaded not guilty. What's publicly known about federal efforts related to the now former speaker's political operation stretches back to at least May 2019. Subpoenas or raids have touched lobbyists, legislators, private companies and members of Madigan's political operation. Here's what to know. Born: April 19, 1942, in Chicago Early life: Attended St. Adrian's Elementary School 1960: St. Ignatius College Prep 1964: Notre Dame, B.A., Economics 1967: Loyola University Law School After law school: Held patronage jobs as a hearing officer for the Illinois Commerce Commission and as a public utilities consultant for the city, according to a 1988 Tribune story. 1969: Elected as a delegate to the Illinois constitutional convention. Also elected a Democratic committeeman. 1970: Elected to the Illinois House for his district on the city's Southwest Side. 1977: Entered House Democratic leadership. 1983: Elected speaker of the House, holding the post continuously through January except for two years in the mid-1990s when Republicans gained control of the chamber. He was ousted from the position in January 2021. 1998: Elected chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party. He stepped down in February 2021. Family: Married to Shirley Madigan, has three daughters, one son and four grandchildren. His daughter Lisa Madigan was Illinois attorney general from 2003 to 2019. Work: An attorney, Madigan is a partner at Madigan & Getzendanner, a firm that works in Chicago's lucrative field of commercial property tax appeals. Sources: Illinois General Assembly, Northern Illinois University Libraries, Notre Dame, Loyola University, Chicago Tribune archives The feds raid the Far South Side home of former 13th Ward political operative Kevin Quinn — the brother of Ald. Marty Quinn — who was ousted by Madigan amid a sexual harassment scandal in 2018. Quinn received checks from current and former ComEd lobbyists. The FBI raids the downstate home of Mike McClain, a longtime ComEd lobbyist who is widely known as one of Madigan's closest confidants. The Tribune exclusively reported in November that the FBI had tapped McClain's cellphone. The FBI raids the Southwest Side residence of former Ald. Michael Zalewski, who at the time was working with Madigan to get lobbying work from ComEd. Feds raid the City Club of Chicago offices in the Wrigley building seeking records pertaining to club President Jay Doherty, a longtime ComEd lobbyist. ComEd reveals in a regulatory filing that it was subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating the utility's lobbying practices. Records obtained by the Tribune reveal that checks went to Kevin Quinn after he was dismissed from Madigan's political operation in early 2018. Federal agents raid the Springfield and Cicero offices and the Southwest Side home of the longtime Democratic state senator as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. ComEd reveals in another regulatory filing it received a second federal grand jury subpoena related to its lobbying practices, this time specifically requesting any communications with Sandoval and other unnamed individuals and entities. Anne Pramaggiore, CEO of ComEd parent company Exelon Utilities, abruptly steps down after it was revealed the utility's lobbying practices were under criminal investigation. 'I'm not a target of anything,' Madigan tells reporters at the Illinois Capitol. In a statement, he called for a review and strengthening of ethics and lobbying laws. Federal authorities recorded Madigan confidant McClain's phone calls as part of the investigation into ComEd's lobbying practices, sources tell the Chicago Tribune. One of the sources said the recordings were made as a result of an FBI wiretap on McClain's cellphone. Federal authorities have asked questions about Madigan and his political operation as part of an ongoing investigation about connections between Commonwealth Edison lobbyists and Madigan, lobbyists giving contracts to people tied to the speaker, and city, state and suburban government jobs held by his associates, four people who have been interviewed tell the Tribune. A pair of federal grand jury subpoenas seeking records from southwest suburban Merrionette Park and Bridgeview name Madigan, his former chief of staff Timothy Mapes, McClain, Marty Quinn and Kevin Quinn. The documents also called for copies of state and federal tax records related to Raymond Nice, a longtime precinct captain in Madigan's vaunted 13th Ward operation. Madigan's main campaign fund paid nearly $462,000 in legal fees in the first three months of 2020 to a law firm that employs former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, campaign finance records show. In the final quarter of 2019, Madigan's campaign fund paid more than $445,000 for legal fees to different firms, which a Madigan spokeswoman at the time said was to cover the cost of a $275,000 settlement with a former campaign worker, as well as ongoing civil cases and routine staff training. ComEd is paying a $200 million criminal fine as part of a federal investigation into a 'yearslong bribery scheme' involving jobs, contracts and payments to Madigan allies, the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago announces. Additionally, prosecutors asked Madigan's office for 'any and all documents and communications' concerning AT&T, including contracts and correspondence related to the hiring of anyone to provide consulting or lobbying services to the public utility, according to a subpoena the Tribune obtained through an open records request. The Tribune reports that AT&T was subpoenaed earlier that year by federal prosecutors in the operation encircling Madigan's political operation. A federal subpoena to Madigan's office shows investigators were interested in a wide range of information, including dealings with Walgreens and Rush University Medical Center, records related to Madigan's political organization and private property tax appeals law firm, as well as former state lawmakers and current or former Chicago aldermen. McClain is charged with bribery conspiracy and bribery in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury. Also charged are former ComEd CEO Pramaggiore; lobbyist and former ComEd executive John Hooker, of Chicago; and Doherty, a consultant and former head of the City Club of Chicago. The embattled Illinois House Speaker releases a statement saying that if anyone at ComEd had tried to bribe him, 'it was never made known to me.' McClain, Pramaggiore, Hooker and Doherty plead not guilty to charges they orchestrated an elaborate bribery scheme with Commonwealth Edison to funnel money and do-nothing jobs to Madigan loyalists in exchange for the speaker's help with state legislation. Emanuel 'Chris' Welch is elected the state's first Black speaker of the House after Democrats reject Madigan's bid to maintain the single-handed power he wielded over the state for nearly four decades. Madigan announces his resignation from the Illinois House after representing a Southwest Side district for a half-century, the majority of that time as the powerful speaker, but remains chairman of the state Democratic Party. Edward Guerra Kodatt, 26, a bilingual outreach and budget assistant in the constituent services office run by Madigan and 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn, is installed in the Illinois House seat that was vacated by Madigan. Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, previously party vice chair, takes over on an interim basis. Despite the ill-fated Kodatt pick, Madigan gets another shot at appointing a replacement. The former speaker remains the 13th Ward Democratic committeeman and holds 56% of the weighted vote cast in the 22nd House District. Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar becomes the second replacement in four days for the Illinois House seat formerly held by Madigan. The charges allege Acevedo attempted to evade paying taxes he owed, including by depositing cash payments into his bank account to conceal the source of income. He was also charged with four misdemeanor counts of failing to file a tax return from 2015 to 2018. Acevedo faces up to five years in prison on the most serious counts. The former longtime chief of staff to Madigan is indicted on charges of lying to a federal grand jury investigating allegations that Commonwealth Edison paid bribes in exchange for Madigan's assistance pushing though legislation in Springfield. He pleads not guilty two days later. An outgrowth of a case that arose from the ComEd bribes-for-favors scandal, Collins is charged with falsely claiming $31,830 in travel expenses on her tax returns. Collins, who previously lobbied for ComEd, was hit with the new charge of filing a false tax return for the calendar year 2018 in a superseding indictment filed May 26, 2021 that added the allegations to a broader tax case. She pleads not guilty. The Tribune learns among their discussions was a plan to turn a state-owned parcel of land in Chinatown into a commercial development. Though the land deal never was consummated, it's been a source of continued interest for federal investigators, who last year subpoenaed Madigan's office for records and communications he'd had with key players. At least one of them recently appeared before the grand jury investigating Madigan's political operation, sources tell the Tribune. Text messages, obtained by the Tribune through an open records request, show Dougherty repeatedly tried to downplay his role in the ComEd probe to the mayor in 2020 even after federal agents raided the City Club's offices in the Wrigley Building in the spring of 2019. Acevedo, enters his plea to one count of tax evasion during a hearing via videoconference before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly. The plea scuttles a jury trial that had been set for Jan. 10, 2022. The most remarkable thing about the Commonwealth Edison bribery probe in 2021 might be what didn't happen. The indictment is returned by a federal grand jury after a more than two-year investigation, according to federal prosecutors. Among the alleged schemes outlined in the indictment was a plan by utility giant Commonwealth Edison to pay thousands of dollars to lobbyists favored by Madigan in order to win his influence over legislation the company wanted passed in Springfield. A week after he was charged in a bombshell corruption indictment, Madigan, is arraigned in a telephone hearing in U.S. District Court on allegations he ran his elected office and political operation as a criminal enterprise that provided personal financial rewards for him and his associates. Acevedo's attorneys had asked for a term of probation, but U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly says his background as a former elected official and a Chicago police officer meant that people were paying attention, and a sentence of probation would seem like 'this person got a pass.' The revelation undermines the storyline Madigan put out when the Tribune first revealed his longtime confidant McClain had lined up friendly utility lobbyists to pay Kevin Quinn thousands of dollars despite his abrupt departure. Mapes, the former chief of staff to Madigan, walks into the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse for a status hearing on charges he lied to a federal grand jury investigating the alleged ComEd scheme. He was the first of six people who have been charged as part of the ComEd bribery scandal to set foot in a federal courtroom. AT&T agrees to pay a $23 million fine as part of a federal criminal investigation into the company's illegal efforts to influence Madigan. Federal prosecutors also unseal a superseding indictment against Madigan and his longtime confidant McClain, adding allegations about the AT&T Illinois scheme. The Tribune learns that Cullen, a lobbyist who played political point man for years on Madigan's government staff, has testified before the ongoing federal grand jury looking into broad aspects of Madigan's political world, which prosecutors allege included a criminal enterprise aimed at providing personal financial rewards for Madigan and his associates. The date for the six- to seven-week trial is set during a 10-minute telephone status hearing between U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey and attorneys in the case. Neither Madigan nor his co-defendant McClain were required to be on the call. After about seven hours of questioning potential jurors in the hot-button case, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber wrapped for the day about 5 p.m., with a pool of just over 60 members of the panel told to come back to court for another round. Madigan's photo became a focal point as the high-profile 'ComEd Four' trial started in earnest at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, where federal prosecutors said in opening statements that the long-serving Democratic boss benefited personally and politically from a scheme by the utility giant to funnel payments and jobs to Madigan's associates. In return, prosecutors, say, the powerful speaker used his position to push or block legislation worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the utility. Found guilty of bribery conspiracy are: Former ComEd contract lobbyist Michael McClain, a longtime Madigan confidant; former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore; ex-ComEd executive John Hooker, and Jay Doherty, who worked as a lobbyist for ComEd for 30 years and served as president of the City Club of Chicago civic forum. In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge John Kness said he struggled at a fundamental level to understand how Mapes found himself in this position. 'This is a very sad case to me because I don't understand why you did what you did,' Kness said. 'You were immunized in the grand jury and all you had to do was go in there and tell the truth.' Kness likened it to the mafia concept of 'omerta,' the concept 'that you don't rat on your friends.' A federal jury convicted Madigan of multiple federal charges including bribery conspiracy — but jurors deadlocked on other charges in the wide-ranging indictment, including the marquee racketeering conspiracy count. The panel also deadlocked on all six counts against Madigan co-defendant Michael McClain. Sources: Court documents, news reports and Chicago Tribune reporting
Chicago Tribune
31-05-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Today in Chicago History: City's first aquarium at Lincoln Park Zoo — and Shedd Aquarium, its second — opens
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on May 31, according to the Tribune's archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) Chicago White Sox pitchers have thrown 20 no-hitters since 1902 — including 3 perfect games. Relive them all here.1914: Joe Benz had the first of three Chicago White Sox no-hitters in which the opponent scored. White Sox pitchers have thrown more no-hitters than any other American League team. 1923: Chicago's first aquarium opened at Lincoln Park Zoo. The 150,000-square-foot building was designed to house 86 tanks and up to 400,000 gallons of water. 'We will experiment with every known kind of freshwater fish,' said Alfred E. Parker, director of the zoo. When planning for the Shedd Aquarium began a few years later, the building was repurposed as a reptile house. Following a more than $4 million renovation, the building was converted into the 500-seat Park Place Cafe. 1930: The $3 million Shedd Aquarium, named in honor of its benefactor John G. Shedd, the former Marshall Field & Co. president unofficially opened with just one of its six galleries available to visitors. But what they saw — nurse sharks, sea turtles, a sting ray and tropical fish — 'was a bewildering display, both grotesque and beautiful specimens,' the Tribune reported. The building, designed by architects Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, was completed Dec. 21, 1929, when reporters got a glimpse of its rotunda. 1936: A Transcontinental & Western Air plane carrying 15 people — 12 passengers and three crew members — hit a tree and a house at 6045 S. Kilbourn Ave. but managed to land in an empty lot near Chicago Municipal Airport (now Midway). All 15 survived. 'Why, the plane is almost an exact fit for that lot,' an observer told the Tribune. 'A lot of terrible things could have happened and didn't.' 2019: 14th Ward Ald. Edward Burke was indicted on 14 counts, including racketeering, federal program bribery, attempted extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity. The Dishonor Roll: Meet the public officials who helped build Illinois' culture of corruptionBurke remained the 14th Ward alderman for more than half a century. He not only claimed the record as the longest-serving City Council member in the history of Chicago, but he also became one of the most powerful until he was convicted on 13 of 14 counts in a landmark federal corruption trial in December 2023. 2024: The Blommer Chocolate factory, famous for sending an unmistakable chocolate smell throughout the Fulton River District, closed. In 2020, the Blommer Outlet Store closed after almost 30 years to make room for updates and enhancements to the local chocolate factory. But improvements to the plant were delayed because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a filing. Blommer is the largest cocoa processor and ingredient chocolate supplier in North America. Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Today in Chicago History: Hit man Harry ‘The Hook' Aleman acquitted — after Judge Frank J. Wilson was bribed
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on May 24, according to the Tribune's archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) High temperature: 93 degrees (1950) Low temperature: 34 degrees (1992) Precipitation: 1.62 inches (1927) Snowfall: Trace (1955) 1879: The Chicago Academy of Fine Arts (later renamed Art Institute of Chicago) was incorporated. 1977: Reputed Chicago mob hit man Harry 'The Hook' Aleman was acquitted in the Sept. 27, 1972, slaying of Teamster William Logan. Evidence later surfaced that Judge Frank Wilson had been bribed. The Dishonor Roll: Judges Aleman became the first defendant in U.S. history to be retried on murder charges after having been acquitted at trial. He was convicted in 1997 at the second trial and sentenced to 100 to 300 years in prison, where he died in 2010. 1985: The first 31 miles of the Deep Tunnel, or the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, was completed. Still under construction, it's the largest public works project in Chicago's history and one of the biggest in the U.S. The tunnel system is expected to be 130 miles long and cost $3.6 billion when completed. The Deep Tunnel is intended to 'bottle a rainstorm' by channeling storm water that overflows from sewers into the system's tunnels that connect with massive reservoirs. 1988: Michael Jordan became the first NBA player to be named league MVP and defensive player of the year in the same season after averaging 35 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 3.2 steals. 1993: Jordan sparked controversy by gambling with his father in Atlantic City, New Jersey, casinos the night before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks. He was criticized the next night for shooting 12-for-32 in a 96-91 loss, but the Chicago Bulls still won the series. 'He's a competitor,' James Jordan, Michael's father, told the Tribune in late May 1993. 'Losing $10,000 to him would be like me losing 10 cents. … If he was playing for matchsticks or straws, he'd have the same level of competition. 'He certainly doesn't have a gambling problem. He wouldn't be doing that if he couldn't afford it. He isn't that stupid. He has a competition problem. He was born with that. And if he didn't have a competition problem, you guys wouldn't be writing about him. The person he tries to outdo most of the time is himself.' 1995: The Illinois General Assembly approved the Chicago School Reform Amendatory Act, which gave Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley the ability to appoint school board members directly and replace the superintendent with an appointed chief executive officer. Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past. Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather at krumore@ and mmather@
Chicago Tribune
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Today in Chicago History: Hit man Harry ‘The Hook' Aleman acquitted — after Judge Frank J. Wilson was bribed
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on May 24, according to the Tribune's archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) 1879: The Chicago Academy of Fine Arts (later renamed Art Institute of Chicago) was incorporated. 1977: Reputed Chicago mob hit man Harry 'The Hook' Aleman was acquitted in the Sept. 27, 1972, slaying of Teamster William Logan. Evidence later surfaced that Judge Frank Wilson had been bribed. The Dishonor Roll: JudgesAleman became the first defendant in U.S. history to be retried on murder charges after having been acquitted at trial. He was convicted in 1997 at the second trial and sentenced to 100 to 300 years in prison, where he died in 2010. 1985: The first 31 miles of the Deep Tunnel, or the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, was completed. Still under construction, it's the largest public works project in Chicago's history and one of the biggest in the U.S. The tunnel system is expected to be 130 miles long and cost $3.6 billion when completed. The Deep Tunnel is intended to 'bottle a rainstorm' by channeling storm water that overflows from sewers into the system's tunnels that connect with massive reservoirs. 1988: Michael Jordan became the first NBA player to be named league MVP and defensive player of the year in the same season after averaging 35 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 3.2 steals. 1993: Jordan sparked controversy by gambling with his father in Atlantic City, New Jersey, casinos the night before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks. He was criticized the next night for shooting 12-for-32 in a 96-91 loss, but the Chicago Bulls still won the series. 'He's a competitor,' James Jordan, Michael's father, told the Tribune in late May 1993. 'Losing $10,000 to him would be like me losing 10 cents. … If he was playing for matchsticks or straws, he'd have the same level of competition. 'He certainly doesn't have a gambling problem. He wouldn't be doing that if he couldn't afford it. He isn't that stupid. He has a competition problem. He was born with that. And if he didn't have a competition problem, you guys wouldn't be writing about him. The person he tries to outdo most of the time is himself.' 1995: The Illinois General Assembly approved the Chicago School Reform Amendatory Act, which gave Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley the ability to appoint school board members directly and replace the superintendent with an appointed chief executive officer. Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Today in Chicago History: Fire engulfs Union Stock Yards
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on May 19, according to the Tribune's archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) High temperature: 94 degrees (1977) Low temperature: 36 degrees (1993) Precipitation: 1.53 inches (1949) Snowfall: None 1934: 'Big Jim' O'Leary's palatial gambling mecca at 4183 S. Halsted St. was destroyed when the second-biggest fire in Chicago history blazed, taking out nearly 90% of the Union Stock Yards, injuring 50 firefighters and killing hundreds of cattle. During Chicago's auto racing heyday, a NASCAR race in Soldier Field ended in a razor-slim victory by Fireball Roberts 1935: Midwest Auto Racing Association hosted its first car race at Soldier Field. The venue hosted its first NASCAR race in 1956 — the Grand National. 1971: Ald. Fred Hubbard disappeared with $100,000 from the Chicago Plan, a federally funded jobs program he had headed. He was arrested by FBI agents in August 1972 at a poker game in a suburb of Los Angeles. Hubbard was brought back to Chicago, where he pleaded guilty to 16 counts of embezzlement and was sentenced to two years in prison in January 1973. The Dishonor Roll: Meet the public officials who helped build Illinois' culture of corruption After serving all but 10 weeks of his prison term, he ended up driving a cab. Later, Hubbard used a false name, Andrew Thomas, to land a job as a substitute teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. The ruse was discovered in 1986 when Hubbard, then 57, was accused of propositioning a 13-year-old girl at a grade school. In recent years, he was back behind the wheel of a taxi, but he lost that livelihood in 1991 when his driver's license was suspended. What to know about the Chicago Bears' possible move to Arlington Heights — or a domed stadium on the lakefront 1982: The Chicago Park District included a $20 million dome for Soldier Field on its list of projects. 'We're just finishing a $32 million renovation of Soldier Field,' Park Board President Raymond Simon said. 'But if you look 10 years down the road, and if Soldier Field were utilized 150 days a year, we would be making a lot of money.' The Tribune Editorial Board responded by saying it had endorsed a domed sports arena near the lakefront since 1964, but argued that taxpayers should not foot the bill: 'They are carrying a heavy enough burden without having to worry about status symbols, however attractive.' Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past. Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather at krumore@ and mmather@
