(The Center Square) – Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and utility ComEd have been hit with a civil racketeering lawsuit filed in federal court.
The suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District Eastern Division by a group of attorneys asks for ComEd customers to get payments of at least $450 million in damages, including $150 million in “ill-gotten gains ComEd has admitted to.”
The suit seeks an additional $300 million under the RICO Act’s damages provision.
The suit also seeks to prevent Madigan from participating in legislative activities involving utility issues and to prevent the House Speaker from serving as the chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
The Democratic Party of Illinois didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment. A message seeking comment from ComEd was not immediately returned.
“We filed our civil RICO case now to protect Illinois ratepayers from further damage by Michael Madigan – in both his capacity as Speaker and as Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois – and also to get our clients back the damages they have suffered from ComEd’s and Madigan’s bribery scheme,” said attorney Stuart Chanen.
ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million penalty for its role in a patronage and bribery scheme to benefit associates of “Public Official A,” which the agreement identified as the Illinois House Speaker. Madigan has not been charged with a crime.
Chanen, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, said nothing in the deferred prosecution agreement ComEd made with federal prosecutors last month prohibits the utility’s customers from getting relief against Madigan or pursuing damages from the utility.
No hearing has yet been set for the case. Greg Bishop
Staff Reporter
The Center Square |
