The company at the center of an expanding federal probe into Springfield lobbying went to unusual lengths to financially ingratiate itself with a key Springfield player, Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan.

Political insiders and official state disclosure records indicate that for at least the last five years, Exelon and its Commonwealth Edison subsidiary have hosted a major autumn Chicago fundraiser for the speaker, who doubles as chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party.

The events rotated between the prestigious Chicago Club and the equally prominent Union League Club, but in every instance it was a “command performance” for ComEd lobbyists, executives, suppliers and others, as one participant put it.

The take: $100,000 or more annually—enough to, say, flood two or three House districts with mailers in the last month of an election campaign, and certainly a nice financial base to build upon.

There is nothing illegal or improper about big fundraising by corporate interests to help their political friends. Single campaign dinners and related events often bring in $100,000 each and sometimes a lot more.

And though ComEd regularly raised money for and donated to other legislative leaders, those efforts were nothing of the magnitude on display for Madigan, several sources familiar with its lobbying and fundraising operation tell me. “This was the only event I ever was summoned to,” said one source, who asked not to be named. “They don’t do any type of event for (Jim) Durkin,” said a spokeswoman for the House GOP leader.

Beyond that, the news of ComEd’s large annual effort to help Madigan comes amid a widening federal probe into company lobbying, with several close associates of the speaker being questioned or subpoenaed. Only today, City Club President Jay Doherty, who over seven years had been paid $3 million by the company for lobbying, resigned his club post.

One source close to the matter says federal officials are believed to be looking into the fundraisers. The Chicago Club declined to comment, though a source close to the organization said it has not been subpoenaed or questioned by federal agents. A spokesman for the Union League Club said “to my knowledge” federal agents have not sought information, and declined as a matter of club policy to discuss who booked events there and for how long they’ve done so.

A spokeswoman for Madigan declined to comment. ComEd, meanwhile, offered this in response to a request for comment:



"Energy is a bipartisan issue, and like most energy companies, Exelon and ComEd support people on both sides of the aisle who understand the need for sound energy policies that benefit our customers and communities. We are cooperating fully with the investigation and are not able to comment further."

It’s not clear exactly how long ComEd has been holding the Madigan event, at least in its mid-to-late autumn format. But multiple sources say the annual soiree, at a minimum, has gone on for several years, a period in which the company pursued legislation to bail out expensive nuclear plants and to adapt to a national environment in which energy production was deregulated.

Either way, the ComEd events drew top officials from both the company and Madigan’s operation, including the speaker himself.

For instance, invitations to both the 2017 Union League Club event and the 2018 gathering at the Chicago Club were worded as being direct from the desk of Exelon CEO Chris Crane, who “cordially” invited recipients to contribute up to $5,000 to the Madigan-headed Democratic Party of Illinois. (See the invites below.)

“We’re always invited to attend,” said one invitee who has made a point to pay and go. “In the room was essentially every ComEd lobbyist on both sides of the aisle, their government relations team and some contractors.”

Among those attending some or all years: Crane, as well as former top Exelon exec Anne Pramaggiore and close Madigan associate Mike McClain, a former House majority leader turned lobbyist who has figured prominently in the ongoing probe. Pramaggiore, credited with overseeing ComEd's lobbying strategy and who most recently served as CEO of Exelon's utility arm, abruptly left the company Oct. 15 in the wake of news that ComEd and Exelon had received to two federal grand jury subpoenas for information related to corruption in Illinois government.

At the annual fundraisers, “the reception line was typically Anne and Mike (Madigan),” that source added. “Later, Chris and Mike would get up and talk.”

A second source says his contact at the company would let him know about the event. “It was a command performance,” he recalls.

Says a third: “It was put together by a combination of ComEd and Exelon. . . .I went because I understood it was part of the process. It was a pretty good crowd, dozens and dozens of people.”

Money certainly was produced. Though no specific report on the events was made, regular campaign disclosure reports indicate that in weeks surrounding the 2018 event, Exelon, ComEd, company officials and registered company lobbyists donated at least $59,000 to the Democratic Party of Illinois, with another $37,000 going to the speaker’s personal Friends of Michael J. Madigan campaign committee.

Similarly, in the weeks surrounding the 2017 event, the same group donated at least $62,000 to the Democratic Party of Illinois.

It’s not clear who paid for the events themselves.

No fundraiser is being held this autumn—apparently for the obvious reason.