The four defendants charged in the ComEd bribery scheme are, from left, consultant Jay Doherty, lobbyist and former ComEd executive John Hooker, retired lobbyist Michael McClain and former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore.
“Folks, this is not a bribery conspiracy, this is a business decision that John made in 2011. And a pretty good one,” Jacobson said. “Ladies and gentlemen, with all due respect to this table,” Gillespie said, gesturing toward prosecutors, “there is not a chance. Not a chance that they’ve proven .” Gillespie also reminded the jury they are being asked to pass judgment on a fellow citizen. “Mistakes in these courtrooms alter lives,” he said. “Mistakes in these courtrooms break hearts. It’s a heavy burden and it should be.”
Among them was the 2011 smart grid bill that set a built-in formula for the rates ComEd could charge customers, avoiding battles with the Illinois Commerce Commission, according to the charges. ComEd also leaned on Madigan’s office to help pass the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016, which kept the formula rate in place and also rescued two nuclear plants run by an affiliated company, Exelon Generation.