Former ComEd executive says Madigan’s support is crucial to key bills he’s seeking — but it comes at a price

ComEd once realized that its fate was deeply tied to the dominance of the Illinois Legislature. Michael J. Madigan The utility’s CEO was known to openly declare: “What’s important to the speaker is important to ComEd.”

This is what the jury heard in testimony Monday Madigan’s racketeering conspiracy trial It has entered its second week.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker spent the day questioning former ComEd general counsel Thomas O’Neill, who highlighted the “constant pressure” he felt to have Madigan ally Victor Reyes sign and then renew a contract for his law firm.

O’Neill said the pressure came “mainly from Mike McClain,” but also from ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore. Along the way, O’Neill said he also began to learn more about Reyes.

“I learned that Victor Reyes was a fundraiser – a prolific fundraiser – for the Illinois Democratic Party,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill had previously explained all this on the witness stand. But a new panel of jurors saw and heard his evidence with new eyes and painstaking detail Monday.

Madigan, who held the record as speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives for 36 years until his resignation in 2021, is being tried alongside McClain, his longtime friend and confidant who spent years as a lobbyist for ComEd.

Prosecutors say Madigan led a criminal organization It was designed to increase his power and enrich his allies and partners while McClain worked as his representative.

A separate jury Convicted McClain and Pramaggiore in 2023 It’s the story of a long conspiracy to bribe Madigan to benefit ComEd. Reyes’ plan to create an unusual contract for his law firm, Reyes Kurson, was the basis of this case.

O’Neill testified about his experience during the earlier hearing. But now Madigan has also been charged for his alleged role in the scheme.

Jurors will not be informed about previous convictions.

State Rep. Robert “Bob” Rita, who began testifying Thursday afternoon, was expected to be heard Monday. Rita could be seen in the hallway of Madigan’s courtroom Monday morning in anticipation of his testimony continuing.

But the attorneys participated in a lengthy sideline argument with U.S. District Judge John Blakey that could not be heard by the public. When the trial ended, prosecutors announced they would call O’Neill to the witness stand instead.

When jurors returned to the courtroom, Blakey told them: “The government’s witness, Mr. Rita, is expected to be dismissed. Sometimes this happens. So don’t worry about that.”

O’Neill explained that in 2011 he found himself in the middle of intense negotiations regarding the Energy Infrastructure and Modernization Act. The Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016, jurors heard earlier, was key to reversing ComEd’s bleak financial outlook at the time.

O’Neill described the utility’s situation as “precarious.” That’s what ties ComEd’s future so closely to the Legislature, he said. And it is known why Pramaggiore said: “What is important for the speaker is also important for ComEd” – An acknowledgment of Madigan’s power.

O’Neill later explained how, in the middle of EIMA negotiations in 2011, McClain and fellow ComEd lobbyist John Hooker launched a pressure campaign to approve the Reyes Kurson contract.

Hooker was convicted last year along with McClain and Pramaggiore.

O’Neill said the deal for Reyes Kurson was unusual because it guaranteed the law firm 850 billable hours each year. He signed the agreement on October 25, 2011, just one day before EIMA passed the Illinois House of Representatives and Madigan voted in favor of it.

O’Neill said pressure from McClain and Hooker “affected the timing” of the contract and that he did not appreciate it.

Years later, when Reyes Kurson received word that ComEd wanted to reduce the number of hours guaranteed in the contract, O’Neill told jurors, “We heard from Mike McClain.”

“It seems to me that he was on both sides of this,” O’Neill said of McClain.

Prosecutors showed jurors Monday email after email in which McClain pressed for a better deal for Reyes Kurson despite his role as a ComEd lobbyist. O’Neill said he put everything off because he was busy focusing on the utility’s legislative priorities, which include the FEJA bill.

McClain confused O’Neill by sending an email to O’Neill’s boss, Pramaggiore. In January 2016, McClain told Pramaggiore: “I’m sure you know how valuable Victor is to our Friend.”

“Of course I know, and so do you,” McClain wrote. He said that if Reyes could not resolve the matter, he would “go to our friend.” Our friend will call me, then I will call you.

“Is this a drill we need to go through?”

After showing jurors the email on Monday, Streicker asked O’Neill, “Who is ‘our friend’?” he asked.

“Speaker Madigan,” O’Neill said.

Contributed by Dave McKinney