Trial of 4 charged in ComEd bribery case rescheduled for March

The trial of four people accused of trying to bribe then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been rescheduled for March 6.

Charged in the case are longtime Madigan confidant Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-top ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and former City Club President Jay Doherty.

The four are accused of arranging for Madigan’s associates and allies to get jobs, contracts and money in order to influence Madigan as key legislation worked its way through Springfield.

The group was originally charged in November 2020, and they had previously been set to go to trial in September. But U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber, who presides over the case, is also set to preside in August over the trial of R&B star and convicted sexual predator R. Kelly. Kelly’s trial on child pornography and obstruction of justice charges was recently pushed back two weeks, which was enough to knock the ComEd case off the calendar.

Sun-Times File

McClain was also charged in the feds’ blockbuster racketeering indictment in March of Madigan. Though the ComEd scheme is also charged in the Madigan indictment, McClain is only charged with that conduct in the November 2020 case set for trial in March.

That means the trial could become a preview of sorts of the case against Madigan.

Timothy Mapes, Madigan’s former chief of staff, is also set for trial on perjury charges in January. And earlier this week, a judge set the long-awaited racketeering trial of Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th) for November 2023.