AT&T Illinois to pay $23M in Madigan bribery case as new charges are filed

UPDATED 12:17 P.M.

CHICAGO, Ill. – New federal charges face former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and one of his top confidants involving yet another big Illinois company.

Madigan and Mike McClain of Quincy are being charged Friday with conspiracy-related counts, as Illinois Bell Telephone Company agrees to pay $23 million in fines (PDF document) in exchange for providing information about a 2017 kickback scheme involving legislation that would favor the company.

Madigan reportedly agreed to push legislation making AT&T a so-called “carrier of last resort” as part of the scheme.

The company agreed to essentially pay someone working on the project, in a way, under the table as a consultant and not a lobbyist.

Madigan and McClain were already charged with counts of leading a criminal enterprise related to utility Commonwealth Edison — who’s paying a $200 million fine.

You can read the new charges by CLICKING HERE (PDF document).

The former president of AT&T also faces a charge in the case (PDF document).

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CHICAGO — AT&T Illinois on Friday agreed to pay $23 million to resolve a federal criminal investigation into alleged misconduct involving the company’s efforts to influence former Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan.

The investigation of telecommunications company is being resolved with a deferred prosecution agreement under which the company admitted it arranged for payments to be made to an associate of Madigan to influence and reward Madigan’s efforts to assist AT&T Illinois with respect to legislation sought by the company.

On Friday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a one-count criminal information in U.S. District Court in Chicago charging AT&T Illinois with using an interstate facility to promote legislative misconduct.

Under the agreement, the government will defer prosecution on the charge for two years and then seek to dismiss it, if AT&T Illinois abides by certain conditions, including continuing to cooperate with any investigation related to the misconduct alleged in the information.

The deferred agreement requires AT&T Illinois to pay $23 million to the federal Crime Victims Fund.

AT&T Illinois admitted that in 2017 it arranged for an ally of Madigan to indirectly receive $22,500 in payments from the company.

If AT&T Illinois fails to completely fulfill each of its obligations under the agreement during the two-year term, the U.S. Attorney’s Office can initiate prosecution of the charged offense.