On Nov. 8, Illinoisans will vote for important judge positions, including three Illinois Supreme Court justices and 16 appellate court judges. Their decisions impact daily life, yet about 25% of voters leave their ballots blank when they get to the judges.
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his longtime political ally Michael McClain entered not guilty pleas Tuesday to bribery and corruption charges involving utility giant ComEd and telecommunications company AT&T Illinois.
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his longtime political ally Michael McClain entered not guilty pleas Tuesday to bribery and corruption charges involving utility giant Commonwealth Edison and telecommunications company AT&T Illinois. Both were charged previously in the ComEd scandal, but federal prosecutors last month added new charges involving AT&T after that company entered a deferred prosecution agreement and agreed to pay a $23 million fine. ComEd entered a similar agreement in July 2020 and agreed to pay a $200 million fine. In those agreements, the companies admitted they engaged in yearslong schemes to bribe Madigan by making payments or awarding jobs and contracts to his associates in exchange for favorable legislation. In the case of AT&T, the alleged bribes were in exchange for passage of a 2017 "carrier of last resort," or COLR, bill that gives the company the opportunity to opt out of a requirement that it offer landline service to an