(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Federal jurors have convicted the so-called ComEd Four of bribery conspiracy.
Former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker, onetime City Club President Jay Doherty, political insider Michael McClain and former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore were all accused in the trial of a scheme to illegally sway then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to benefit ComEd.
The four defendants worked behind the scenes to hire Madigan cronies for do-nothing jobs with the utility, federal prosecutors said.
Jurors reached their verdict Tuesday, after nearly 30 hours of deliberations over five days. The four defendants were convicted of nine counts of conspiracy, bribery and falsification of records.
"The state of Illinois, unfortunately, has a deep-seated public corruption problem," Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual told reporters. "Corruption that erodes and eats away at the peoples' confidence in their government and in their elected officials."
Defendants had argued that nothing they did was illegal; their attorneys said they would appeal.
Madigan, once considered the most politically powerful man in Illinois, awaits trial and has pleaded not guilty.
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