How we got here: former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan facing federal corruption charges

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was indicted on federal racketeering charges on Wednesday, culminating nearly than two-year saga that began when the feds announced in 2020 that ComEd officials had engaged in a years-long bribery scheme seeking to influence Madigan.

Madigan, 79, is charged with 22 counts of leading a criminal enterprise, so as to enhance the political power and financial wellbeing of Madigan himself and his allies, according to the indictment.

While it's the first time he's facing federal charges, it's been clear for nearly two years that he was being targeted by federal investigators.

In July 2020, federal prosecutors announced a deferred prosecution agreement with ComEd, in which the energy giant admitted it sought to influence "Public Official A" -- identified at the time as the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives without using Madigan's name -- by arranging for his allies and people who performed political work for him to obtain jobs, contracts and payments from ComEd between 2011 and 2019.

Madigan, once widely considered the most powerful politician in Illinois, was not charged with a crime at the time, but U.S. Attorney John Lausch suggested the investigation was far from over at that point, and the case led to Madigan's eventual downfall as Speaker and head of the Democratic Party of Illinois, as Madigan resigned both posts, as well as his seat as a state representative, in early 2021 under growing pressure from fellow Democrats.

Before his resignation, he was the longest-serving state House speaker in U.S. history, while also serving as the longtime leader of the state's Democratic Party.

In the case against ComEd, the feds said ComEd admitted attempting to influence legislation regarding the regulatory process that determines the rates it is allowed to charge customers for electricity. ComEd acknowledged it stood to benefit by more than $150 million from that legislation.

According to court documents in that case, Madigan and a close friend who served as a lobbyist and consultant for ComEd sought jobs, contracts, and payments from ComEd for various associates, such as precinct captains who operated in the speaker's district. The feds said that Madigan pal and another ComEd lobbyist developed a plan to arrange for money for two of the speaker's associates by having ComEd pay them as subcontractors to the owner of a ComEd consultant between 2011 and 2019, even though those associates did little or no work.

The payments to Madigan's associates between 2011 and 2019 totaled approximately $1,324,500, and "were intended to influence and reward Public Official A in connection with the advancement and passage of legislation favorable to ComEd in the Illinois General Assembly," according to prosecutors.

ComEd also arranged for another associate of Madigan's to be appointed to the company's board of directors, and agreed to retain a specific law firm, both at the speaker's request. As part of the scheme, ComEd also agreed to arrange for internships for students who lived in Madigan's ward.

ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine as part of the deferred prosecution agreement with the feds.

In the months since, the ComEd and Madigan scandal has only grown in scope, with former ComEd executive Fidel Marquez pleading guilty to federal bribery charges, admitting he helped give out jobs, contracts, and payments to Madigan's allies in an effort to influence legislation beneficial to the utility giant.

According to his plea deal, between 2012 and 2019, Marquez schemed with other ComEd executives and lobbyists to steer jobs, contracts, and money to Madigan's allies, in an effort to get the speaker's support for legislation that would benefit ComEd.

According to court documents, Marquez helped direct a $37,500 payment to an unnamed company, "a substantial portion of which was intended for associates of [Madigan]."

Two months later, former ComEd lobbyist and Madigan confidant Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd vice president and later lobbyist John Hooker, and former ComEd consultant Jay Doherty being indicted in November 2020 on charges accusing them of conspiring to curry favor with Madigan.

The indictment accused the four of using their influence to reward Madigan for about eight years beginning in 2011.

The indictment claims the four defendants conspired to influence and reward the speaker by arranging for jobs and contracts for his political allies and workers. The jobs sometimes involved little or no work, according to the feds.

The defendants were also accused of creating false contracts, invoices, and other records to disguise some of the payments and get around ComEd internal controls, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Further, the defendants were accused of making other efforts to try to influence Madigan, including having ComEd retain a law firm that was favored by the speaker, and accepting a certain number of students from the official's Chicago aldermanic ward into the ComEd internship program, prosecutors said.

Pramaggiore and McClain were also accused of working to have someone appointed to the ComEd Board of Directors at the request of the speaker and McClain.

Months later, in May 2021, former Madigan chief of staff Timothy Mapes was indicted on charges of making false statements to a grand jury investigating public corruption allegations.

The indictment claims a federal grand jury was investigating efforts by Madigan and someone working on his behalf – who was not named in the indictment, but was suggested to be longtime Madigan confidant Michael McClain – to obtain private jobs, contracts, and payments for others from ComEd and to influence and reward Madigan.

On March 24, 2021, Mapes was granted immunity to testify before the grand jury. No testimony he provided would be used him in a criminal case unless he made a false statement or committed perjury.

Prosecutors said just one week later, Mapes indeed did make false statements to that grand jury about a consultant McClain's relationship with Madigan from 2017 until 2019.

Mapes denied knowing the consultant acted as an agent or performed work for Madigan doing those years, when he knew the consultant had done so, according to the indictment.

The grand jury claimed Mapes attempted to "corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede" the investigation.

With Madigan himself now under federal indictment, he also joins many other high-profile Illinois politicians to be brought up on federal corruption charges, including four of the past 11 governors, and dozens of Chicago aldermen.