(The Center Square) – Defense attorneys for the four former Commonwealth Edison executives and lobbyist accused of bribing former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan said Tuesday their clients did nothing wrong.
Former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker’s attorney, Jacqueline Jacobson, said her client was hardworking and honest. She said that when Hooker ran the utility’s lobbying team, “everyone worked.”
Prosecutors charged Hooker, former state lawmaker and lobbyist Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and former contract lobbyist Jay Doherty, with a multi-year scheme to gain Madigan’s backing for legislation that would boost the utility’s bottom line.
Prosecutors allege the four defendants gave out $1.3 million in jobs, contracts, and payments in exchange for favorable treatment on legislation in Springfield. The defendants have all pleaded “not guilty” to conspiracy, bribery and willfully falsifying ComEd books and records.
Jacobson said that federal prosecutors failed to make their case.
“This is not a bribery conspiracy, this is a business decision that John made in 2011,” she said, referring to Hooker’s decision to bring on former Chicago alderman Frank Olivo and longtime Madigan campaign operative Ray Nice.
Jacobson said Hooker always thought Olivo and Nice would perform work for the utility. Prosecutors have alleged that Olivo, Nice, former Cook County Recorder of Deeds Edward Moody, former state Rep. Eddie Acevedo and former alderman Mike Zalewski did little, if any, work for ComEd. Prosecutors allege those subcontractors were hired at Madigan’s request to collect checks without doing any work.
Jacobson reminded the jury that Hooker grew up as one of eleven children supported by his seamstress mother and worked his way up from the mailroom at ComEd to an executive position in charge of the utility’s lobbying efforts. She said Hooker retired in 2012, shortly after prosecutors allege the conspiracy began, and then worked as external lobbyist for ComEd, but didn’t have the authority to make hiring or firing decisions. She said Hooker’s decision to hire subcontractors was a good one.
“This is not illegal, it’s creative,” she said.
Doherty’s attorney, Michael Gillespie, said his client was a hard worker who worked to build goodwill with public officials. Gillespie said Doherty was “a Chicago guy” and didn’t operate in Springfield.
“He’s not a Madigan guy, pure and simple,” Gillespie said.
Gillespie said it was ComEd’s job to give work assignments to the subcontractors on Doherty’s lobbying contract with the utility, not Doherty’s job. He said ComEd was Doherty’s best customer. He said that while lobbying may not make sense to people who “work all their life,” it’s a legal practice. Gillespie also said there was nothing illegal about keeping Madigan happy.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu is expected to deliver the prosecution’s rebuttal Tuesday afternoon. Then it will be up to the jury to decide the case.
Madigan, who resigned after losing the House speakership in January 2021, has been charged with 23 counts of racketeering, bribery, and official misconduct in a separate case that could go to trial in April 2024.
ComEd, the state’s largest electric utility, agreed to pay $200 million in July 2020 to resolve a criminal investigation into the years-long bribery scheme. As part of a deferred prosecution agreement, ComEd admitted it arranged jobs, vendor subcontracts and payments in a bid to influence Madigan.
