Federal indictments are rarely subtle, but the bombshell racketeering charges filed against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan last week contained an under-the-radar twist.
filed against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan last week contained an under-the-radar twist that could have big implications for telecommunications giant AT&T.
Though the indictment specifically used the plural, “businesses,” only one company, Commonwealth Edison, has so far been named as having participated in that alleged conduct. State records show the company that year had hired a stable of Madigan-connected lobbyists working for the Illinois subsidiary as AT&T was fighting for a controversial bill to end landline service.that investigators were specifically looking at thousands of dollars in payments allegedly passed to former state Rep. Edward Acevedo, a onetime member of Madigan’s leadership team who’d recently left the General Assembly.
Neither Cullen nor Acevedo has been charged with any wrongdoing involving AT&T, and there was no indication in the SEC filing that they might be in legal jeopardy. Madigan, 79, who was dethroned from his role as speaker in January 2021, was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury on racketeering charges alleging his elected office and political operation were a criminal enterprise that provided personal financial rewards for him and his associates.came after a yearslong federal investigation and alleges Madigan participated in an array of bribery and extortion schemes from 2011 to 2019 aimed at using the power of his office for personal gain.
Both Madigan and McClain have denied wrongdoing. They’re scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in a telephone hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole.