Anne Pramaggiore, a longtime Barrington resident and former CEO of Commonwealth Edison, was sentenced this week to two years in federal prison and fined $750,000 for her role in a scheme to bribe then–Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. The case, which has reverberated across Illinois politics, lands close to home in Barrington, where Pramaggiore, 66, has lived while building a high-profile corporate career.

Sentencing and penalties

Pramaggiore’s punishment is among several recent sentences stemming from the federal prosecution of the so-called “ComEd Four,” who were convicted in 2023 by a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago on conspiracy and other charges related to the bribery scheme. The group includes:

  • Anne Pramaggiore, 66, of Barrington: two years in federal prison and a $750,000 fine.
  • Michael McClain, 77, of Quincy: two years in prison.
  • John Hooker, 76, of Chicago: 18 months in prison and a $500,000 fine.
  • Jay Doherty, 71, of Chicago: scheduled to be sentenced on August 5.

Separately, Madigan, 83, of Chicago, was convicted by a different federal jury earlier this year on ten corruption charges, many of them related to the ComEd bribery scheme. He was sentenced last month to seven and a half years in federal prison and fined $2.5 million.

How prosecutors say the scheme worked

Federal prosecutors said McClain conspired from 2011 to 2019 with Pramaggiore, who was then ComEd’s CEO; Hooker, who was ComEd’s Executive Vice President of Legislative and External Affairs and lobbyist; and Doherty, who served as an outside lobbyist and consultant for ComEd, to corruptly influence Madigan.

According to prosecutors, the defendants arranged for jobs and contracts at ComEd for Madigan’s political allies who performed almost no work. ComEd and Exelon paid out more than $1.3 million. Prosecutors said the two consultants and the two ComEd executives falsified corporate books and records and evaded internal controls at the electric utility company while working to bribe Madigan and gain his help with the passage of certain legislation.

Prosecutors said the defendants caused the creation of false contracts, invoices and other books and records to disguise the true nature of the payments and to circumvent internal controls at ComEd and its parent company, Exelon Corp. McClain worked as a lobbyist and consultant for ComEd after serving in the Illinois House of Representatives in the 1970s and 1980s.

Prosecutors’ message on public trust

In a memorandum ahead of McClain’s sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Streicker, Diane MacArthur, and Julia Schwartz wrote, “Through their web of lies, defendants deceived internal auditors, rate payers, and shareholders, and abused the highest levels of state government,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Streicker, Diane MacArthur, and Julia Schwartz argued in the government’s memorandum ahead of McClain’s sentencing.

They added: “Many public officials, and many lobbyists, adhere to the rules and to the law. But for those who do not, or who may be tempted to design their own illegal plan as a way around them, a message must be sent that a long prison sentence awaits them when they are caught,” the assistant U.S. attorneys said.

Pramaggiore’s response and planned appeal

After the sentencing, a spokesperson for Pramaggiore released a statement expressing disappointment with the outcome. “It is nearly impossible to reconcile the sentence– two years in prison – with the federal Probation Department’s recommendation of no jail time and probation,” the statement said.

The spokesperson also outlined Pramaggiore’s next legal steps, stating: “Ms. Pramaggiore, a civic leader, trailblazing electric utilities executive, the only female CEO in Commonwealth Edison’s history — and an innocent woman — will appeal the verdict and sentence to the Seventh Circuit and, if necessary, to the Supreme Court,” the statement added.

What it means for Barrington

Pramaggiore’s sentencing ties a national-profile corruption case back to Barrington, underscoring how a years-long federal probe into political influence and corporate conduct has reached into local communities. The provided materials did not include local reaction from Barrington officials or residents.

As the remaining case milestones play out — including Doherty’s scheduled sentencing on August 5 and Pramaggiore’s planned appeal — the legal outcomes continue to shape the legacy of the ComEd bribery scheme. For Barrington, the case centers the community in a broader story about accountability in Illinois, involving a hometown executive, a powerful statehouse figure, and the state’s largest electric utility.