Former Commonwealth Edison CEO Anne Pramaggiore is scheduled to resume testifying in her own defense Monday in the “ComEd Four” bribery trial on charges she and three associates participated in a yearslong scheme to illegally influence then-House Speaker Michael Madigan.
In a highly anticipated moment, Pramaggiore, 64, took the stand Thursday afternoon, testifying for about 45 minutes — before the trial wrapped for the week — about her rise as the top executive at ComEd and her professional relationship with Madigan.
Under direct examination by her attorney, Pramaggiore was adamant that she never felt that ComEd had Madigan in its pocket.
“Did he say, ‘If you hire some people at my request, I’ll help you out with your legislation’?” asked her attorney, Scott Lassar.
“No,” she said firmly.
“And did that ever change?”
“No.”
Pramaggiore is sure to be cross-examined on that point when prosecutors get a chance to question her, possibly as soon as Monday.
A theater major from Dayton, Ohio, who rose to become one of Chicago’s top female executives, Pramaggiore has taken the rare and risky step to take the stand in her own defense, hoping to convince the jury she is the highly ethical and honest leader described by her long lineup of character witnesses, not the person on FBI wiretaps who seemed at ease with participating in an Illinois’ old-school, pay-to-play political system.
[ ‘ComEd Four’ bribery trial: What you need to know ]
Jurors will have to weigh Pramaggiore’s statements on the witness stand against what she said in the covert recordings, when she repeatedly pushed for things that Madigan wanted, sometimes even against the wishes of other top executives at ComEd or its parent company, Exelon Utilities.
“You take good care of me, and so does our friend, and I will do the best that I can to, to take care of you. You’re a good man,” Pramaggiore allegedly told co-defendant Michael McClain in one September 2018 call, allegedly referring to Madigan as “our friend” instead of by name.
Charged along with Pramaggiore are McClain, a former lobbyist and Madigan’s trusted confidant; Jay Doherty, a former ComEd contract lobbyist and ex-president of the City Club, and John Hooker, a onetime ComEd executive who later lobbied for the utility.
The indictment alleged the four defendants steered $1.3 million in payments from ComEd to Madigan-approved subcontractors who did little or no work in a bid to win the speaker’s influence over the utility’s legislative agenda in Springfield.
[ ‘ComEd Four’ trial: Evidence seen and heard by the jury ]
The charges also alleged the defendants schemed to hire a clout-heavy law firm run by political operative Victor Reyes and stack the utility’s summer internship program with candidates sent from the 13th Ward.
Allfour have all pleaded not guilty. Their lawyers have contended the government is trying to turn legal lobbying and job recommendations into a crime.
Madigan and McClain face a separate racketeering indictment that is set for trial next year.
Testifying in a polished and relaxed tone, Pramaggiore on Thursday described her dealings with Madigan as friendly, but in a somewhat distant way.
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“He’s a very quiet person, doesn’t say a lot,” she said. “But I did get to know a bit about him. I think we had mutual respect for each other.”
Pramaggiore said from her perspective, what was most important to Madigan was “staying the speaker.” That meant raising money and winning elections to keep his Democratic majority in the House, she said.
“That was sort of where he placed his priorities,” Pramaggiore testified.
Pramaggiore’s decision to testify in her own defense is rare for a defendant in a high-stakes federal case, and comes with significant risk. The other three defendants told the judge they still are considering whether to testify.
Before the trial began Thursday, prosecutors revealed for the first time that Pramaggiore sat down for what’s known as a “proffer” session with the U.S. attorney’s office in September 2019, leading to a 33-page FBI report of her statements.
Proffer sessions are typically part of an initial exploration of potential cooperation, and her statements from the session cannot be used to prosecute her. But the judge ruled that if Pramaggiore testifies inconsistently with her proffer, prosecutors can use what she said to try to impeach her on the witness stand.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
