- Jay Doherty, a longtime lobbyist and consultant for electric utility Commonwealth Edison, has been sentenced to a year in prison for his role in a bribery scheme aimed at former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
- Doherty and his ComEd Four co-defendants were convicted in 2023 for their roles in the conspiracy, and Doherty was the last to be sentenced.
- While Madigan and others are pursuing appeals in their related cases, the former lobbyist gave an apology to the judge Tuesday.
The reporters and editors who worked on this story wrote this synopsis.
Chicago Jay Doherty, a longtime Chicago lobbyist, was given a one-and-a-half-year jail sentence on Tuesday for his involvement in a multi-year bribery scheme involving former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his largest client, the electric utility Commonwealth Edison.
Doherty consented to utilize his consulting business as a pass-through for eight years in order to pay Madigan’s political associates, who got monthly checks ranging from $4,000 to $5,000 despite doing nothing for ComEd. The payments, according to two different juries, were the main component of a bigger bribery plot that was intended to influence Madigan while the company fought for significant legislation in Springfield.
Doherty expressed his tremendous regret to U.S. District Judge Manish Shah before he was sentenced Tuesday morning, saying he hadn’t realized how far he had deviated from the principles of public service that had inspired him to pursue a career in government affairs. Doherty, who had chaired the powerful City Club of Chicago for decades, claimed to take great satisfaction in bringing people together, while he admitted that some could consider this to be gladhanding.
Doherty told Shah from a lectern in front of the courtroom, “Sometimes over the years, instead of seeing my job as a means of service, it became simply a way to make more money and to build myself up.” to get without giving. I concentrated on how I could earn money while being the big man on campus.
With every new Madigan-affiliated subcontractor, Doherty’s contract grew. Three out of four times a guy was hired, he received monthly bonuses of $1,000 to $1,500, for a total of almost $220,000 in additional payments between 2011 and 2016.
Read more: ComEd Four convicted on all charges in former Speaker Madigan’s bribery trial
Following a series of hearings last month, the former lobbyist is the last of the ComEd Four to get a punishment. Doherty was the least guilty of the gang, according to Shah on Tuesday, but his offenses were nonetheless severe enough to call for jail time.
Behind the scenes, you engaged in a criminal activity that compromises the principles of civic, lawful democracy and the soft power that persuasion, organization, and debate are meant to accomplish. The judge stated. The very item you put your face to at the City Club of Chicago was cheated.
Following a six-week trial that included hundreds of wiretapped phone conversations and multiple covertly filmed movies, the ComEd Four were found guilty in 2023. Fidel Marquez, a former ComEd official who is now an FBI mole, asked Doherty on one of those tapes what the subcontractors were doing for him.
“Not much,” Doherty replied, adding that he doesn’t often talk to the subcontractors and that they don’t say much.
Read more: Don’t fix what ain’t broke. Covertly captured footage reveals ComEd lobbyists talking about a purported bribery plan. ComEd lobbyists cautioned the FBI mole to maintain Madigan’s goodwill and avoid interfering with no-work contracts.
Doherty informed Marquez later in the discussion that maintaining Mike Madigan’s satisfaction is worthwhile.
No. 1: In reference to the state’s regulatory procedure for approving utility rates, Doherty stated of ComEd, “Your money comes from Springfield.” In summary, I would advise not fixing anything with those guys if it isn’t broken.
Doherty and his co-defendants’ sentencing was postponed for nearly two years due to Madigan’s protracted trial, the death of the original judge who presided over their case, and worries about the potential effects of a U.S. Supreme Court decision. Earlier this summer, the former speaker received a seven-year prison sentence after being found guilty on ten corruption charges in February.
Read more: Split verdict punctuates ex-speaker’s fall as Madigan is found guilty of briberyFormer Speaker Madigan received a seven-year prison sentence for corruption and bribery.
Following their 2023 trial, the ComEd Four were found guilty on all counts; however, Shah overturned the convictions on the majority of the bribery counts early this year, leaving only the general conspiracy charge. In addition to the allegations of falsifying ComEd’s books and records in order to support the bribery scheme, their punishments are predicated on that count.
Read more: Nearly two years after the verdict, the judge in the ComEd 4 case grants a retrial on the majority of the bribery accusations.
Shah dismissed the bribery charges after each sentencing, but the judge informed each defendant that he still thought they had engaged in bribery, so the prosecution would not seek a retrial.
Gabrielle Sansonetti, Doherty’s lawyer, informed Shah on Tuesday that her client’s wish to go to trial isn’t a reflection of his character but rather of a misunderstanding of what federal law defines as bribery.
“He fought not because he was thumbing his nose at the law, but because the law is unclear,” she said. Nevertheless, he is regretful as he stands here today.
In their related cases, Madigan and Doherty’s co-defendant, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, have already appealed and intend to base their arguments on the ambiguity of federal bribery legislation.
Last month, Pramaggiore and Mike McClain, a prominent Springfield lobbyist who was Madigan’s personal friend and advisor for decades, were both sentenced to two years in prison. John Hooker, a former ComEd official, was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Read more: You favored lies and secrecy: John Hooker, the first of the ComEd Four to be sentenced, receives a year in jail; Madigan’s confidant receives two years for involvement in the ComEd bribery plot; and the former ComEd CEO receives two years for his involvement in the bribery plan directed at Madigan.
Before Shah handed down the other sentences last month, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker, who also assisted in prosecuting Madigan’s case, had argued for a 15-month sentence, which was much less than the government’s recommendations for the others. At the height of his lobbying career, she claimed, Doherty demonstrated a readiness to misuse his position of trust and his contract with ComEd.
The judge agreed with the government s arguments that probation would not be enough to accomplish deterrence for others who may want to influence lawmakers to pass public policy in Springfield.
People forget that laws and regulations have a greater purpose if they believe that public policy and governance are like a game or sport, Shah added. It’s not enough to circumvent the law in order to score points in a game.
On September 30, Doherty is expected to report to prison. The judge said he did not impose a fine as Doherty has a negative net worth and would be unable to pay.
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