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Archive for the ‘ComEd Four’ Category

Possible ComEd 4 retrial up in the air months after 7th Circuit ordered prison release for

Posted in Capitol News Illinois, ComEd Four, Resident Spotlights, The Chicago Way on August 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Judge proposes February 2027 trial date for defendants McClain, Pramaggiore | Capitol News photo by Andrew Adams

CHICAGO — Federal prosecutors on Thursday told a judge they aren’t yet ready to say whether they’ll retry the lead defendants in the “ComEd Four” case who were convicted in 2023 of bribing former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

But U.S. District Judge Manish Shah asked the parties to be ready for a possible retrial early next year.

“I want you to be thinking about February 2027,” he said during a brief hearing.

Thursday morning’s hearing comes four months after a seismic shift in the case when, just hours after hearing appellate arguments, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the release from prison of longtime Springfield lobbyist Mike McClain and former Commonwealth Edison CEO Anne Pramaggiore. The other half of the ComEd Four did not appeal their convictions but had already finished their own monthslong sentences by then.

In June, the three-judge panel issued a full opinion in the case ruling the feds are free to retry McClain and Pramaggiore. The opinion made clear the government had presented “significant and compelling evidence in the case,” rejecting defendants’ arguments for full acquittal.

“Do not misread our opinion. We are not suggesting that Pramaggiore and McClain are innocent, only that their convictions were flawed and that they have a right to see their sentences vacated,” Judge Thomas Kirsch II, an appointee of President Donald Trump, wrote for the panel.

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Editorial: Mayor Brandon Johnson says Chicagoans want a ‘revolution.’ How about competence, Mr. Mayor? (OUCH!)

Posted in Chicago Tribune, ComEd Four, Cook, County, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Dumb Bunny, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Overhead, Politics, Unions on July 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Mayor Brandon Johnson points to where he signed his name and wrote “The greatest frickin’ city in the world!” at a ceremonial beam-signing event at the construction site of the new Concourse D project at O’Hare International Airport on April 23, 2026. | Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

We met recently with Robert Isom, the chief executive officer of American Airlines Group. Isom was in Chicago to reinforce his airline’s newly expanded commitment to Chicago, as writ large by the coming return of his airline’s nonstop flight from Chicago’s O’Hare airport to Tokyo Narita, a vital dual-hub addition to our city’s international connectivity that had been gone for seven years.

Isom told us he had met with some of the city’s business and political leaders and had many productive conversations. When we asked him what his airline needed from Chicago, he answered, in essence, that it was crucial the city remain a major business center. There will be connecting passengers at either end of that Tokyo flight, of course, but connections can be made at several hubs, many of which have cheaper landing fees than Chicago. Isom was making the point that the route needed substantial hometown demand, too. And that was dependent on the health of business in Chicago.

An American Airlines jet taxis at O’Hare International Airport on April 23, 2026. | Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune

That upbeat meeting was in our heads when we read this truly unfathomable statement by Mayor Brandon Johnson, from a recent press conference:

“The progressive movement is alive and well. We just have a few obstinate individuals that are more aligned with the interests of corporations that are ultimately stalling what could be a full-out revolution in this city, and the people of Chicago want it.”

We suspect we’re on the list of Johnson’s “few obstinate individuals,” along with assorted aldermen who do not enjoy mayoral favor, and we take pride in that. And, for the record, we agree with the mayor that the progressive movement is alive and well. Look no further than New York City to confirm that claim.

But Johnson didn’t stop there: He simply cannot stop trashing a business community that is trying like heck to promote growth and public safety even as City Hall insists on demonizing its honorable intentions.

Editorial continues here.

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Feds free to retry ex-ComEd CEO, lobbyist in scheme to influence Madigan, appeals court rules

Posted in Chicago Tribune, ComEd Four, Politics on June 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on July 21, 2025, after being sentenced to two years in prison. | Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune

By Jason Meisner | Chicago Tribune

A Chicago federal appeals court on Monday said there was “compelling” evidence against former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and lobbyist Michael McClain in the “ComEd Four” case and that prosecutors were free to retry it if they saw fit.

The highly anticipated 16-page opinion comes two months after the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the convictions of Pramaggiore and McClain in a scheme to influence then-House Speaker Michael Madigan and ordered them released immediately from federal prison.

As expected, the three-judge panel made it official Monday that the convictions for both could not stand given recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court curtailing the use of federal statutes involving bribery and making false statements.

But the opinion also was clear the government had presented “significant and compelling evidence” in the case, and rejected arguments from the petitioners that they should be acquitted outright.

“Do not misread our opinion,” the judges said at the conclusion of the ruling. “We are not suggesting that Pramaggiore and McClain are innocent, only that their convictions were flawed and that they have a right to see their sentences vacated.”

The opinion puts the ball squarely in the court of the U.S. attorney’s office, which will have a tough decision to make. A retrial is possible, though it would have to be under different legal theories, or potentially a new indictment that could vastly change the scope of the evidence, legal observers have said.

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Editorial: What’s really at stake in the Pritzker-Johnson cold war

Posted in Chicago Tribune, ComEd Four, Commodius Maximus, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Dumb and Dumber, Entertainment, Ethics, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Scott Stantis, Simple Minds, Springfield, Taxes on May 26, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Scott Stantis editorial cartoon for Sunday, May 24, 2026 on the fight between Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson over the Bears stadium. | Scott Stantis/For the Chicago Tribune

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

As we witness the current dysfunction between Chicago City Hall and Springfield, we easily forget that for most of the past 60 years Illinois governors were Republicans while Chicago mayors were Democrats.

There was some tension in those relationships. But for the most part those GOP governors and Chicago mayors cooperated effectively on matters of importance to Chicago. Chicago mayors — for the bulk of that time period, their last names were Daley — understood how to prioritize their requests to Springfield for assistance to ensure they could get to “yes.” And GOP governors — Jim Thompson in the 1980s, Jim Edgar for much of the ‘90s and then George Ryan in the early 2000s — understood that a growing and economically strong Chicago was a boon for the entire state.

During Illinois’ brutal budget wars of the 2010s, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic Mayor Rahm Emanuel were frequently at odds on a host of issues. But everyone understood the real warring parties at the time were Rauner and Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. For all the verbal broadsides, no one ever believed Rauner and Emanuel, who were friends for years before that era, couldn’t communicate with each other reasonably even if striking deals was challenging.

Which bring us to right now.

What is there to say about the relationship between Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker, both Democrats?

What relationship? There doesn’t appear to be any.

The editorial continues here.

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Editorial: U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros should retry Anne Pramaggiore and Michael McClain

Posted in Chicago Tribune, ComEd Four, OP/Ed, Politics, Resident Spotlights, Springfield on April 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore walks to U.S. Dirksen Courthouse for her sentencing on July 21, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

A 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals order to release former Commonwealth Edison CEO Anne Pramaggiore and longtime Springfield lobbyist Michael McClain from prison came as a surprise to many. We too were taken aback, we confess, at the speed at which the three-judge panel moved.

Just hours after the conclusion of their Tuesday hearing on Pramaggiore and McClain’s appeals, they sprung the two from the federal prisons that had held them for more than three months. Both were serving two-year prison sentences.

But we were far less surprised that the appellate judges ordered new trials for these two of the so-called ComEd Four defendants found guilty in 2023 of conspiring to bribe then-House Speaker Michael Madigan in order to win highly lucrative state legislation for ComEd and its corporate parent Exelon. The other two defendants, former ComEd lobbyists John Hooker and Jay Doherty, didn’t appeal and now are serving the remainder of their time in halfway houses.

In 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court upended prosecutors’ interpretation of federal law used to convict the ComEd Four. The high court’s ruling in a separate case involving former Portage, Indiana, Mayor James Snyder effectively required an explicit quid-pro-quo arrangement to find an officeholder guilty of bribery, as the ComEd Four were.

Also separately found guilty of bribery, by the way, was Madigan himself, who’s serving a 7.5-year sentence in federal prison and has appealed his 2025 conviction. This ruling may well portend a new trial for Madigan as well.

Which in part is why Andrew Boutros, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, quickly ought to green-light a retrial of Pramaggiore and McClain.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, April 3, 2026. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

For better or for worse, the Supreme Court has clarified how — and how not — to prosecute public officials caught corruptly conspiring with favor-granting and clout-heavy players, as ComEd was during that era. Best to test out now what sort of evidence and trial approach will be convincing to a jury faced with complex public-corruption charges in this new legal landscape.

Editorial continues here.

Related: “Appeals court says it will reverse convictions, orders two ‘ComEd Four’ defendants released from prison”

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Appeals court says it will reverse convictions, orders two ‘ComEd Four’ defendants released from prison

Posted in Chicago Tribune, ComEd Four, Politics, Resident Spotlights on April 14, 2026| 1 Comment »

Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse after being sentenced to two years in prison on July 21, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

By Jason Meisner | Chicago Tribune

Just hours after hearing arguments, a Chicago federal appeals court on Tuesday announced it will grant new trials to former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and lobbyist Michael McClain and ordered them released from prison on bond.

The extraordinary development comes nearly three years after Pramaggiore and McClain were convicted as part of the landmark “ComEd Four” case alleging a conspiracy to bribe then-House Speaker Michael Madigan.

“Both Pramaggiore and McClain are entitled to release,” the order from the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said. “The United States must make arrangements to release Pramaggiore and McClain from federal custody forthwith.”

The appeals court said a written opinion on the order for a new trial will be filed at a later date. It’s unclear whether the U.S. attorney’s office would go forward with the case, given the new legal landscape and the age of the defendants.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office had no immediate comment.

In an emailed statement, Pramaggiore’s spokesperson, Mark Herr, thanked the 7th Circuit for its swift decision to order her release pending the written opinion.

“It has never made sense that Ms. Pramaggiore has served a single day in prison, much less the three months she has served — for ‘crimes’ the Supreme Court said did not exist,” Herr said.

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JB Pritzker’s Political Brand Is at Stake—in a Race He’s Not Even Running In – Wall Street Journal

Posted in Clown Car, ComEd Four, Commodius Maximus, Cost of Living, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Fat Bastard, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions, Wall Street Journal on March 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Illinois’s governor has given at least $5 million to a group backing his lieutenant governor and upsetting the Congressional Black Caucus. | Eileen T. Meslar / Chicago Tribune/Zuma Press

By John McCormick | Wall Street Journal

CHICAGO—Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s deep financial involvement in his state’s U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday has angered potential allies for his possible 2028 presidential bid.

The billionaire is helping finance a multimillion-dollar barrage of ads to boost Juliana Stratton, his lieutenant governor, in a race that is also testing Pritzker’s political clout in a state where he has leveraged his wealth to dominate the Democratic Party.

The contest has turned sharply negative in its closing weeks, while revealing divisions within the party over how progressive the Democratic brand should be. It has also become a debate about the influence of outside money.

Pritzker’s involvement has especially angered the Congressional Black Caucus, an influential party group backing one of its own, Rep. Robin Kelly (D., Ill.). Both Stratton and Kelly are Black.

“His behavior in this race won’t soon be forgotten by any of us,” Rep. Yvette Clarke (D., N.Y.), the CBC’s leader, said in a statement also critical of the governor for trying to “tip the scales” in a primary.

Black voter support is critical in Democratic presidential primaries. Clarke declined an interview, while Pritzker recently told reporters he has a proven record of supporting nonwhite candidates.

“I would like a Black woman to represent us in the United States Senate. I just want the best person. She happens to be a Black woman,” he said. “I stand with communities of color across the state and with candidates who are running for public office.”

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, taking a selfie, has stressed her progressive leanings. | Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images

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AI fuels higher ComEd bills

Posted in ComEd Four, Economy, Hoffman Estates, Plum Farm development, Politics, Sears, Topics Of Interest on July 24, 2025| 1 Comment »

ComEd customers are already reeling from a big jump in monthly electric bill prices. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times file

Reporting by Brett Chase | Chicago Sun*Times

Buckle up: The multistate electric grid operator PJM Interconnection confirmed Tuesday that power demand continues to be high and that the price of electricity is likely going up next year.

Hot, hot, hot: Electric rates went up June 1. Most customers didn’t see the increases on their bills until this month. A ComEd customer who normally pays about $100 a month on average will see a spike of almost 11% on upcoming power bills.

AI caramba: Power demand across the country has skyrocketed, spurred by artificial intelligence operations and big data centers. Meanwhile, new sources of renewable energy including wind and solar have been slow to get connected to an electric grid that spans from Northern Illinois to the East Coast.

Read more here.

Related: “Hoffman Estates could see third data center campus with sale of Plum Farms property,” “How data centers became the newest growth industry in the suburbs,” ”Done deal: Texas data center firm closes on deal for Sears campus in Hoffman Estates”

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Ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore sentenced to 2 years in prison in scheme to bribe Speaker Madigan

Posted in Chicago Tribune, ComEd Four, Crime, Resident Spotlights on July 21, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore walks to U.S. Dirksen Courthouse for her sentencing on July 21, 2025. | Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune

By Jason Meisner | Chicago Tribune

Once a rising corporate star, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore was sentenced Monday to 2 years in federal prison for her role in an elaborate scheme to funnel more than $1.3 million and other perks to associates of then-House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for help with the utility’s ambitious legislative agenda.

Pramaggiore, who turns 67 in two weeks, showed little outward reaction as U.S. District Judge Manish Shah announced his sentence, which also included a $750,000 fine.

The sentencing comes more than two years after Pramaggiore’s conviction in the “ComEd Four” case, one of the biggest political corruption scandals in state history.

The investigation, which came to light more than six years ago, ended Pramaggiore’s stellar career in Chicago’s male-dominated C-suite corporate world, where she’d recently been named chief executive of Exelon, a major Fortune 100 energy company that delivered power to millions of customers in the Chicago area and beyond.

Prosecutors asked for a stiff prison term of almost 6 years and a $1.75 million fine, writing in a recent filing that despite all her success,, money and professional status, “she made the choice to participate in a years-long conspiracy that corrupted the legislative process in Springfield” and subverted her own company’s internal controls.

In asking for a 70-month prison term, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Streicker, Julia Schwartz and Diane MacArthur also wrote in a court filing earlier this month that Pramaggiore lied repeatedly in her testimony during the 2023 “ComEd Four” trial. which ended in sweeping guilty verdicts for Pramaggiore and her three co-defendants.

The feds said Pramaggiore’s lies extended far beyond a general denial of knowledge of the scheme and involved a number of specific material matters, including whether she intentionally kept details about more than $1.3 million in subcontractor payments to Madigan allies off of ComEd’s books, and whether she knew that they were doing little or no work for the company.

“Pramaggiore could have remained silent, but instead chose to try to obstruct the jury’s process,” the prosecution filing stated. “Pramaggiore’s lies demonstrate a lack of integrity and
candor, and her interest in prioritizing her own self-interest over the truth.”

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Former ComEd CEO next defendant to be sentenced in federal corruption case

Posted in ComEd Four, Crime, Politics, Resident Spotlights on July 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker; Michael McClain, a long time Madigan confidante; former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore; and Jay Doherty, a lobbyist and consultant who once served as chief of the City Club of Chicago.

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

Sentencing is scheduled Monday for former ComEd Chief Executive Officer Anne Pramaggiore, who was convicted of corruption in a scheme to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

In May of 2023, a federal jury convicted Pramaggiore and three others of conspiracy, bribery and falsifying records. Last Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Manish Shah sentenced the first of the ComEd Four defendants, ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker, to 1.5 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay a $500,000 fine.

Prosecutors said Pramaggiore should serve 70 months, or nearly six years in prison and pay a fine of $1.75 million.

University of Illinois Chicago professor emeritus Dick Simpson said he doesn’t expect any of the defendants to get less than Hooker’s 18 months.

“I think what is most important is that they be sentenced and that they be fully shown as they were in the trial to have been corrupt and to indicate to other companies that they shouldn’t engage in these kinds of practices with politicians in Illinois,” Simpson told The Center Square.

More here.

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