ComEd is paying $200 million as part of a federal investigation into a “years-long bribery scheme” involving jobs, contracts and payments to allies of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago announced Friday.
Madigan, a Southwest Side Democrat and the nation’s long-serving speaker, has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He could not immediately be reached for comment.
Prosecutors alleged that ComEd “admitted that its efforts to influence and reward the high-level elected official” included legislation that affected the regulatory process used to determine the electricity rates ComEd charged its customers.
Prosecutors went on to describe the alleged scheme.
“The company admitted that it arranged for jobs and vendor subcontracts for Public Official A’s political allies and workers even in instances where those people performed little or no work that they were purportedly hired by ComEd to perform,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said in a statement.
In a criminal filing, prosecutors say was the House speaker, which is Madigan.
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