(© Getty Images)
BY Reid Wilson
December 11, 2019
A sprawling federal investigation into lobbying, patronage and alleged corruption threatens to upend Illinois’s powerful Democratic machine as agents raid offices and interrogate witnesses from Chicago to Springfield.
Federal agents have conducted searches of at least nine homes and offices in connection to a probe of Commonwealth Edison, the state’s largest utility, and the political operation run by state House Speaker Mike Madigan, the most powerful Democrat in Illinois.
Those agents have been asking questions about Madigan, his associates and his political operation, according to two people who have sat for interviews with law enforcement.
A part of the investigation appears to focus on the army of lobbyists Commonwealth Edison and its parent company, Exelon, employ in Springfield, some of whom allegedly won contracts for no-show jobs.
The companies have publicly acknowledged receiving at least two subpoenas seeking information about their lobbying practices in Springfield and their relationship with former state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D).
Of the 23 lobbying firms Exelon paid to advocate on their behalf this year, 15 have ties to Madigan, the radio station WBEZ reported. Eight employ former top Madigan staffers. Five employ retired state Democratic legislators who served under Madigan. And two employ lawyers who worked for Madigan while also lobbying for the utility.
Read More HERE
