Sentencing for defendants convicted in "ComEd 4" bribery trial delayed
CHICAGO (CBS) – The sentencing hearings for the four people convicted in last year's ComEd bribery trial were delayed.
Last year, a jury convicted former ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, retired ComEd vice president John Hooker and former ComEd consultant Jay Doherty of conspiring to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to arrange no-work contracts and high-paying jobs to his allies in exchange for favorable treatment.
On Thursday, a judge ruled they will not be sentenced until after the Supreme Court hears a case that could redefine federal bribery laws.
A ruling is expected from the Supreme Court this summer.
It's the same case that caused Madigan's trial to be delayed from April to October. He and McClain are facing a separate federal indictment charging them with racketeering, conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud, most of which carry up to 20 years in prison if they are convicted.
CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller said last year he expected the defendants will be sentenced to prison, but not to the maximum sentences – particularly since none of them have a criminal background.
"What the statute says the maximum is and what they're going to get are usually two different things in federal court," Miller said. "There's a 15-year maximum on the bribery conspiracy charge, but there's what we call federal sentencing guidelines – which give a judge some idea what similar defendants get across the country for the particular charge, and they're usually way less than the statutory maximum."