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“Public Official A”  — the former Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan — has (finally) been indicted under the charges of racketeering, relating to the ComEd lobbying scandal of 2020.  It ultimately led to Madigan leaving his post in the Illinois legislature after serving as House Speaker for 36 years.

Illustrated by George Eckart

The scandal resulted in a guilty plea by ComEd and a $200 million fine; and the indictment of three of ComEd/Exelon’s top executives: Exelon Utilities CEO and President Anne Prammagiore, former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker, and consultant Jay Doherty.   ComEd’s vice president of governmental and external affairs Fidel Marquez resigned, and later plead guilty to a charge of bribery.  Trial dates are expected in 2022.  Throughout initial FBI investigations relating to these individuals, references were made of “Public Official A”, which by description could only have been Madigan.

Madigan becomes the second state legislature House speaker to be indicted by the FBI.  Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder was also indicted relating to a $60 million bribery scheme to support a nuclear utility in Ohio.  Madigan continues to proclaim his innocence.

It is amazing how nuclear power utilities and federal indictments relating to bribery and more are being paired up in recent years.  In addition to the two indictments above, a utility executive overseeing the construction of SCANA’s VC Summer nuclear plant in South Carolina also plead guilty in the $11 billion fraud case in 2020.

Nuclear power seems to go hand in hand with political corruption.

 

Ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is indicted on federal racketeering charges

By Dan MihalopoulosDave McKinneyTony Arnold —  WBEZ-FM