* Dan Mihalopoulos and Tony Arnold at WBEZ…
A special Illinois House committee’s hearings next week on the Springfield bribery scandal should begin with testimony from executives of Commonwealth Edison, the company at the center of the federal corruption probe, WBEZ has learned.
In a letter Thursday to the Democratic lawmaker heading the legislative inquiry, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs said he or his lawyer, the former federal prosecutor Ron Safer, “will be questioning” the ComEd executives at the special panel’s meeting on Tuesday. […]
Durkin told [committee chairman Chris Welch] he “will be presenting an opening statement” at the committee meeting Tuesday, and he added that “a representative” of ComEd has confirmed the company’s executives will appear at the session to testify.
ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez and other executives from the power company – which serves 4 million homes and businesses across northern Illinois – already have testified and taken questions about the scandal at the state board that regulates utilities and at the Chicago City Council. […]
A ComEd spokesman said the company would comment on its participation in the hearings later Thursday. Welch did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday morning.
ComEd has not yet commented, but I’ll post it when they do. I have been able to confirm that a ComEd official will testify.
*** UPDATE *** Tribune…
“ComEd has pledged to respect the legislative process that has been initiated and accepted the invitation to provide testimony at the hearing next week,” company spokesman Paul Elsberg said in a statement.
- legaleze - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 2:29 pm:
Why is Jim Durkin communicating with ComEd rather than the committee? He’s not a member of the committee.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 2:30 pm:
It’ll be interesting how questioning goes.
Real interesting.
- legaleze - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 2:35 pm:
==Durkin told [committee chairman Chris Welch] he “will be presenting an opening statement” at the committee meeting Tuesday==
I thought Welch was the chair. I don’t think Jim Durkin gets to decide who speaks.
- Chicago Cynic - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 2:40 pm:
Anyone want to ask Joe what his role in passing FEJA and Smart Grid were? And how deeply he was involved in strategy and tactics? And whether he’s been interviewed by the Feds. Or are you just going to play patty cake with him and as condemns a few bad apples like the scene from Animal House?
- Elliott Ness - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 2:42 pm:
It would be GREAT if lots of subpoenas are issued and LOTS of facts are known…if there is nothing to hide the. Nobody should be afraid of what witnesses might reveal.
- Ok - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 2:47 pm:
Having a witness means the Committee members have to show up now, right?
- Anon y mouse - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 2:47 pm:
***It’ll be interesting how questioning goes.***
So, I guess there will be witnesses, eh?!
And it’ll be far more interesting to hear Madigan’s answers.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 2:51 pm:
Any word on any individuals testifying, outside ComEd executives?
- M - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 3:00 pm:
Can you trust their witnesses to be truthful?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 3:06 pm:
===Can you trust their witnesses to be truthful?===
The Feds will be tuned in.
Lying under oath, voluntarily, especially after the ComEd deal, why would anyone risk a perjury?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 3:10 pm:
=== It would be GREAT if lots of subpoenas are issued and LOTS of facts are known…===
“So far”… only ComEd execs are seen as complying.
The dog caught the car, what it can do with the bumper is still unknown.
Activity… Achievement. Still different.
- Scott Cross for President - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 3:34 pm:
Will the committee go nuclear on ComEd ?
Will it be lights out for Exelon ?
Or will the power company be powerless before the power of the empowered legislature ?
(It’s been a long week….)
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 3:36 pm:
- Scott Cross for President -
I needed that. It has indeed been a long week, maybe the past 10 days.
Well played.
- Birds on the Bat - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 4:00 pm:
Scott Cross, reminded me of the cliffhangers at the end of each episode of the old Batman television show. Good stuff.
- walker - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 4:08 pm:
Since Durkin has volunteered, not summoned or invited by the Committee, to appear to make a formal statement, will he be questioned as a witness to the ComEd shenanigans?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 4:14 pm:
===Since Durkin has volunteered,===
Would be an odd thing… ya know… givin’ a statement and all and not open to questions.
Who decides to give a statement for a committee they wanted created and not take any questions?
Huh. That would be… odd?
- Anon - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 4:47 pm:
Joe better be careful
There is a smoking gun
- Nagidam - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 5:33 pm:
=== Joe better be careful
There is a smoking gun===
The report says he has already testified a few times. What smoking gun is out there that the feds don’t already know about. Besides these NDA’s are pretty serious. I doubt the head of ComEd says anything to jeopardize the companies commitment to the feds to cooperate. If there is a smoking gun that the head of comed knows about he would be in breach of the NDA.
- Chicago Cynic - Thursday, Sep 24, 20 @ 7:26 pm:
Anon, you are 100% correct. Joe has been given very gentle questions to date. Thus my point above.
- Sunrise road - Friday, Sep 25, 20 @ 5:34 am:
Blame shift to ComEd