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Judge hands 2 years in prison to ex-ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain, calls bribery scheme with Speaker Madigan a ‘criminal alliance’. Michael McClain, a longtime lobbyist for utility giant Commonwealth Edison who was also a close confidante of then-House Speaker Michael Madigan, has always insisted that what federal prosecutors claimed was an elaborate scheme to bribe the powerful speaker was nothing more than relationship-building.
But at McClain’s long-awaited sentencing hearing Thursday, a judge called it a “false narrative” to suggest what McClain did was time-honored legal lobbying or simply passing along job recommendations from a politician.
If it was aboveboard, U.S. District Judge Manish Shah said, why would he try to conceal it so elaborately?
“Aligning with Mr. Madigan made good strategic sense from your point of view, but that was a criminal alliance,” Shah said. “You preferred secrecy and lies. You preferred Mr. Madigan. You chose his way, and the consequences of that choice are yours to bear.”
Minutes later, Shah handed McClain a two-year prison sentence for his central role in a scheme to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars in no-work contracts and other perks to Madigan associates in exchange for the speaker’s help with ComEd’s ambitious legislative agenda. […]
McClain is the third of the four defendants to be sentenced in the “ComEd Four” case. Earlier this week, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore was also given two years in prison by Shah. John Hooker, the utility’s former top internal lobbyist, received a year and a half behind bars at a hearing last week. Consultant Jay Doherty, the former head of the City Club of Chicago, will be sentenced next month.
Of all the players swirling in the bribery scandal, however, from precinct captains and political directors to legislators and lobbyists, it was McClain who held the ultimate catbird seat.
He toiled for years in relative obscurity, known mostly by Springfield insiders and political reporters as the former legislator from downstate Quincy with the thick prescription glasses who always seemed to be hanging around Madigan’s office suite in the Capitol.
But it was through his close relationship with Illinois’ most powerful and reticent politician, prosecutors say, that McClain was able to leverage knowledge of the speaker’s thinking to induce ComEd executives to lavish money on Madigan’s cronies and scramble to meet his myriad other demands.
Read more about the ComEd Four’s sentencing from the Chicago Tribune.
CRIMINAL LAW
Rep. Weber Denounces SAFE-T Act Following ICE Arrest Linked to Megan Bos’ Death. Following the arrest of Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in connection with the death of Antioch resident Megan Bos, State Representative Tom Weber gave the following statement.
“The death of Megan Bos is a devastating reminder of what happens when our laws fail to protect the innocent,” said Rep. Weber. “The fact that her body was found in a garbage can on the property of an illegal immigrant—who had previously been released because of the SAFE-T Act—is not just disturbing, it’s infuriating.”
Mendoza-Gonzalez, a Mexican national living in the U.S. illegally, was initially charged with concealing a death, abuse of a corpse, and obstruction of justice. Despite the disturbing nature of the charges, under Illinois’ SAFE-T Act, he did not qualify for detention and was released without cash bail.
Mendoza-Gonzalez was recently detained by ICE after months of living free in the Chicagoland area. His arrest came just three days after Megan’s mother, Jennifer Bos, shared her story directly with President Trump, who responded with “watch what happens.”
While Rep. Weber shared that he was pleased to hear Mendoza-Gonzalez was off the streets, he emphasized that there is still need for legislative action.
“We cannot continue to uphold a law that forces judges to release dangerous criminals back into our communities, especially those who are here illegally,” said Weber. “The fact that Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez lived freely in our state for months after abusing and hiding a body in his backyard is unthinkable and is a direct result of Illinois’ disastrous SAFE-T Act.”
“A lot of people don’t really understand the seriousness of what these laws mean until it happened to me,” Jennifer Bos told Fox News during an interview. “I blame J.B. Pritzker… this is what he wanted.”
“I think Governor Pritzker needs to hear the voices of Megan’s family and other families like theirs,” Weber told Fox.
Rep. Sheehan Says SAFE-T Act Must Go After Man Accused of Hiding Megan Bos’ Body Detained By ICE. Last weekend, ICE agents with the Department of Homeland Security detained 52-year-old Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez. Mendoza-Gonzalez is accused of concealing the death of Megan Bos for nearly two months. Bos was reported missing on March 9, and her remains were discovered on April 10 inside a storage container in Waukegan at Mendoza-Gonzalez’s residence. Despite these disturbing facts, he was released pending trial under Illinois’ SAFE-T Act. This outcome has devastated her loved ones and ignited renewed scrutiny of Illinois’ criminal justice reforms.
State Representative Patrick Sheehan spoke with Megan’s mother Jennifer last weekend. Jennifer appeared earlier this year with Rep. Sheehan at a press conference in Springfield to talk about the case and the failings of the SAFE-T Act.
“I had the chance to speak with Jennifer, Megan’s mom, this weekend,” Rep. Sheehan said. “She was in tears as she told me the news. My prayers are with her and her entire family. While the pain of this tragedy can never be taken away, we are grateful to have finally received justice for Megan.”
Rep. Sheehan called the release of Mendoza-Gonzalez horrific and further proof that the SAFE-T Act must be repealed.
“Were it not for federal law enforcement, Mendoza-Gonzalez would be walking free right now,” said Rep. Sheehan. “This is more proof of how the SAFE-T Act and cashless bail have failed the family of Megan Bos and the people of Illinois. Megan and her family deserve justice, but Illinois law has stripped law enforcement of critical tools, tied the hands of officers, and prioritized criminals over victims. Illinois families deserve better. Megan deserved better.”
The combination of Illinois’ SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail and has removed layers of judicial discretion to hold criminals, and Illinois’ sanctuary state policies have allowed a growing number of dangerous individuals to be released before trial.
“We need to hold criminals accountable and ensure families can have peace,” said Sheehan. “It shouldn’t take ICE agents to clean up this horrific failure of Illinois law.”
FAIR MAPS & REDISTRICTING
House Republicans Blast Pritzker’s Fake Outrage Over Gerrymandering. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker once again waded into national politics this week when he discussed a possible mid-decade redistricting of congressional maps to counteract Texas and other Republican states.
Gov. Pritzker stated: “We have to see what they decide to do about Texas… I think we ought to play by the rules,” but acknowledged “counterbalance” might be necessary. “I think cheating the way the president wants to is improper. We all ought to stand up against it. People ought to be outraged.”
In response to Governor JB Pritzker’s comments today regarding potential mid-decade redistricting of congressional maps to counteract Texas and other Republican states, House Minority Leader Tony McCombie released the following statement:
“It’s rich that the Governor now claims to support playing by the rules—after he enthusiastically signed into law the most gerrymandered maps in the nation. When it was convenient, he promised to reject partisan maps in favor of fair representation. Illinois Republicans remain committed to fairness and transparency.”
Deputy Illinois House Minority Leader Ryan Spain released the following statement in response to the Governor’s comments:
“Nothing is more phony than disingenuous and hypocritical outrage from a grandstanding Governor who signed some of the worst partisanly gerrymandered legislative maps in the country,” said Spain. “I disagree with efforts in other states to double down on further partisan gerrymandering, but I can make that statement because I voted against partisan gerrymandering in Illinois and have been dedicated to its elimination for many years.
“Let’s not forget, JB Pritzker campaigned against partisan gerrymandering and then betrayed his word as soon as it became politically useful to him. The nonpartisan Princeton Gerrymandering Project gave Illinois’ congressional districts a failing ‘F’ grade. The fact is, Democrats’ supermajorities in the Illinois General Assembly and their grip on our congressional delegation only exist because of this extreme partisan gerrymandering. Spare us the fake outrage, Governor.”
Spain also noted that multiple non-partisan organizations across the country have recognized Illinois as having some of the worst gerrymandering in the country. This fact was on full display in recent elections. In the 2024 Illinois House elections, Democratic candidates won 55% of the statewide vote, but Democratic candidates won a supermajority of seats (78 of 118, or 66.1%). In 2022, election results were even more lopsided, with Illinois House Republican candidates winning a majority of the statewide vote, but Democrats still secured a supermajority nonetheless.
Assistant Republican Leader C.D. Davidsmeyer slammed Gov. Pritzker’s double-talk on redistricting and his previous flip-flop on fair maps, calling Pritzker the “Cheater in Chief.”
“What people ought to be outraged about is JB Pritzker’s flip flop on fair maps,” Davidsmeyer said. “As a candidate for governor, Pritzker said he was for an independent map and vowed to veto any map drawn by politicians. Then as governor, he signed a Democrat-drawn map that is one of the worst examples of gerrymandering in the entire country.
“JB Pritzker broke his promise to Illinois families, all to further empower corrupt Democrat party bosses like the now-convicted, ex-Speaker Mike Madigan. Governor Pritzker is leaving behind a trail of broken promises and failed policies as he seeks to elevate himself onto the national stage. He’s clearly more interested in scoring political points in Washington, D.C. than he is in working to end the culture of corruption in Illinois.”
ENERGY COST CRISIS
PJM announces big hike in summer electric bills. The price hike, from $269.92 per megawatt-day to $329.17 per megawatt-day, is the “capacity price” that applies to electricity distributors throughout the PJM grid area, which stretch westward from Pennsylvania to the ComEd territory of northern Illinois. The capacity price is a supplement that is tacked onto overall electrical supply prices. It posts the price that the owners of generating plants can ask for when they feed electricity into the PJM grid on hot summer days. Every electricity distributor, including ComEd, tacks the capacity price onto the electric bills that they charge to customers.
This significant PJM increase, which will begin to affect consumer bills in summer 2026, will be added onto the major increase in capacity price-related billings already being paid by consumers in summer 2025. The increase reflects PJM’s need to have electricity on hand at all times, including power for data centers and other power-hungry industrial locations, and the matchup of this need with current U.S. electrical generating capacity in the eastern United States.
The soaring capacity pricing numbers posted by PJM for northern Illinois match current spikes in capacity pricing as they apply to electrical distributors enrolled in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). This grid operator, which is separate from PJM, covers most of the electricity distribution needs of central and southern Illinois, including the territories served by Ameren. Like customers of PJM, MISO’s customers will see soaring electric bills in summer 2025 and summer 2026. The current MISO capacity price is $666.50 per megawatt-day.
TAXES
Illinois property taxes rank highest in U.S. After years of ranking No. 2 to New Jersey, the latest data shows Illinoisans paid the highest property taxes in the nation during 2023. Worse, Illinoisans also pay steep income and sales taxes.
Illinois homeowners paid an average effective property tax rate of 1.83%, the highest in the nation. On a median-priced home of $250,500, that amounts to $4,584 per year. Neighboring states had significantly lower rates, making the idea of finding a home outside of Illinois appealing.
Read more from the Illinois Policy Institute.
Illinois has the highest telecom tax rate in the nation. For most Americans, smartphones have become a necessity of everyday life, and many states impose taxes on telecommunications. At the start of 2025, Illinois already had the highest cellphone tax rate among the 50 states. Despite Illinois’ high telecom tax, the Democrats’ FY26 revenue/tax bill raised the telecom tax rate yet again. Illinois cellphone users now are required to pay a combined tax rate of nearly 38%.
The 37.7% tax rate on Illinois cellphone service is made up of a combination of separate state and local levies that are superimposed on top of each other. Central to this policy is a federal and state vision of cellphone service as a ‘cash cow” that can be made to pay for all sorts of causes, including subsidized phones for economically challenged people, alternative telecom services for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, and 9-1-1 emergency response services. In addition, Illinois law allows many local governments to impose cellphone service taxes and levies. The Illinois 37.7% tax rate includes 24.9% in state and local taxes, as well as 12.8% in federal taxes for the Universal Service Fund.
The Illinois 37.7% combined rate includes the newly-enacted 1.65% supplemental tax designated to generate revenue for the Statewide 9-8-8 Trust Fund, a subsidy fund for a system of telephone hotlines intended to create a suicide prevention and mental health crisis system. This supplemental 9-8-8 tax was enacted as part of the Illinois Democrats’ FY26 tax package.
This significant PJM increase, which will begin to affect consumer bills in summer 2026, will be added onto the major increase in capacity price-related billings already being paid by consumers in summer 2025. The increase reflects PJM’s need to have electricity on hand at all times, including power for data centers and other power-hungry industrial locations, and the matchup of this need with current U.S. electrical generating capacity in the eastern United States.
The soaring capacity pricing numbers posted by PJM for northern Illinois match current spikes in capacity pricing as they apply to electrical distributors enrolled in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). This grid operator, which is separate from PJM, covers most of the electricity distribution needs of central and southern Illinois, including the territories served by Ameren. Like customers of PJM, MISO’s customers will see soaring electric bills in summer 2025 and summer 2026. The current MISO capacity price is $666.50 per megawatt-day.
TAXES
Illinois property taxes rank highest in U.S. After years of ranking No. 2 to New Jersey, the latest data shows Illinoisans paid the highest property taxes in the nation during 2023. Worse, Illinoisans also pay steep income and sales taxes.
Illinois homeowners paid an average effective property tax rate of 1.83%, the highest in the nation. On a median-priced home of $250,500, that amounts to $4,584 per year. Neighboring states had significantly lower rates, making the idea of finding a home outside of Illinois appealing.
Read more from the Illinois Policy Institute.
Illinois has the highest telecom tax rate in the nation. For most Americans, smartphones have become a necessity of everyday life, and many states impose taxes on telecommunications. At the start of 2025, Illinois already had the highest cellphone tax rate among the 50 states. Despite Illinois’ high telecom tax, the Democrats’ FY26 revenue/tax bill raised the telecom tax rate yet again. Illinois cellphone users now are required to pay a combined tax rate of nearly 38%.
The 37.7% tax rate on Illinois cellphone service is made up of a combination of separate state and local levies that are superimposed on top of each other. Central to this policy is a federal and state vision of cellphone service as a ‘cash cow” that can be made to pay for all sorts of causes, including subsidized phones for economically challenged people, alternative telecom services for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, and 9-1-1 emergency response services. In addition, Illinois law allows many local governments to impose cellphone service taxes and levies. The Illinois 37.7% tax rate includes 24.9% in state and local taxes, as well as 12.8% in federal taxes for the Universal Service Fund.
The Illinois 37.7% combined rate includes the newly-enacted 1.65% supplemental tax designated to generate revenue for the Statewide 9-8-8 Trust Fund, a subsidy fund for a system of telephone hotlines intended to create a suicide prevention and mental health crisis system. This supplemental 9-8-8 tax was enacted as part of the Illinois Democrats’ FY26 tax package.