Durkin Calls Madigan Role in ComEd Crimes “Extraordinary Pattern of Corruption”
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) gives an opening statement before the Special Investigative Committee looking into House Speaker Michael Madigan’s role in a Commonwealth Edison bribery scheme. (SOURCE: Blue Room Stream)
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) says House Speaker Michael Madigan’s role in a long-running bribery scheme by utility giant Commonwealth Edison was part of “an old fashioned patronage system” to use his office to find jobs and contracts for associates and precinct captains.
Durkin made his statement to open the first day of substantive testimony in the Special Investigative Committee looking into whether Madigan’s role in the scheme requires punishment.
“I do not believe that finding the objective truth is hard,” said Durkin. “The evidence will be direct, strong, convincing, and will meet the burden of proof for this committee.”
Durkin often referred to the Deferred Prosecution Agreement ComEd signed with the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago, which outlined the charges against the company and issued a $200 million fine.
“ComEd admitted that they paid person after person who is associated with Speaker Michael Madigan thousands of dollars even though those Madigan associates did little or no work, said Durkin.”
Durkin urged the committee to remain non-partisan in its investigation.
“This committee has the opportunity to restore some of the faith people used to have in Illinois government,” he said. “At a time where partisanship has never been more extreme and our system has never been more polarized, you can put aside your party affiliation and be those impartial arbiters of the facts.”
But Durkin also says he realizes the 3 to 3 partisan split of the committee.
“I am a realist and I realize it will be hard to be objective,” he said. “No one in the state of Illinois believes that this will come out any other way than a 3-3 split along party lines.”
Durkin says the evidence in the Deferred Prosecution Agreement alone outlines how Madigan and associate Mike McClain convinced ComEd to give “jobs, vendor subcontractors, and, ultimately, a board position for his associates, precinct captains who operated in his legislative district.”
Durkin said the criminal actions in the agreement are hard to ignore.
“One of the largest utilities in the nation paid over $1.3 million in bribes to influence or reward the Speaker in connection with the advancement and passage of legislation favorable to ComEd in the General Assembly.”
Durkin may also be called to testify as a witness by the committee, as Speaker Madigan alleged Durkin played a role in passing highly scrutinized legislation for ComEd in 2016 and recommended an outgoing lawmaker for a job with the company, as well.
Durkin said one former lawmaker, Derrick Smith, was removed from the chamber in 2012 for taking a $7,000 bribe. He was charged by federal prosecutors, while Democrats are quick to remind Madigan has not been charged with any crime.