Former ComEd Attorney Points to Political Pressure in Bribery Case

Former Commonwealth Edison chief lawyer Tom O’Neill said Wednesday that over time he came to work hand-in-hand with associates of then-House Speaker Michael Madigan to secure jobs for them in high-profile positions. O’Neill took the stand for a second day in the ComEd bribery trial at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago. Former House Speaker Michael Madigan called the shots on a bill that was worth $1.8 billion to Illinois' largest electrical utility. That's what the state lawmaker who sponsored the measure told jurors Tuesday in the bribery trial of four former ComEd executives and lobbyists. Libraries in Illinois, including at K-12 schools, could see their funding cut if there are efforts to restrict books under a bill that passed the House Wednesday. House Bill 2789 would limit federal pass-through tax dollars through the Illinois Secretary of State’s office for libraries that remove or restrict certain books.  

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