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I'm heading downtown soon to see ComEd execs try to do some explaining at a meeting of their state of Illinois regulators.
Here's a story about the head of that agency - and her family ties to the investigations roiling Chicago and Springfield politics https://www.wbez.org/stories/illinois-official-is-deeply-troubled-by-agency-heads-role-in-comed-meeting/e6241fc6-b766-4ecf-879c-ebb73dd6f19e
Here's a story about the head of that agency - and her family ties to the investigations roiling Chicago and Springfield politics https://www.wbez.org/stories/illinois-official-is-deeply-troubled-by-agency-heads-role-in-comed-meeting/e6241fc6-b766-4ecf-879c-ebb73dd6f19e
Carrie Zalewski begins meeting by saying corruption case involving ComEd is “deeply troubling” and the ICC is here to look out for interests of the power company’s ratepayers
First witness is lawyer Stephen Blandin, who says ComEd should pay us all back for the ill-gotten gains of the bribery scheme. Here’s more on his lawsuit https://news.wttw.com/2020/07/28/could-comed-customers-get-reimbursed-wrongfully-inflated-rates
Witness Jesus Solario notes that the chair comes from “one of the most politically connected families in Illinois” and says her state rep/husband has gotten campaign cash from ComEd.
Solaris says she should recuse herself from ComEd matters before ICC https://www.npr.org/local/309/2020/07/21/893467263/gov-pritzker-defends-appointee-with-family-ties-to-key-figure-in-com-ed-scandal
Solaris says she should recuse herself from ComEd matters before ICC https://www.npr.org/local/309/2020/07/21/893467263/gov-pritzker-defends-appointee-with-family-ties-to-key-figure-in-com-ed-scandal
Solario asks Zalewski if she has been interviewed by the feds.
She tells him his time to comment is up.
Solaris continues - ending by calling for her resignation.
She does not say whether she got interviewed by feds, and introduces next witness ...
She tells him his time to comment is up.
Solaris continues - ending by calling for her resignation.
She does not say whether she got interviewed by feds, and introduces next witness ...
Abe Scarr from Illinois @uspirg: ‘ComEd has lost our trust’
I miss heard the name of one of the witnesses. It is actually Jesus Solorio @jesussoloriojr. He’s the Republican running against congressman Chuy Garcia
ComEd up next. But 2 commissioners to speak first. Here is commissioner Maria Bocanegra - a Pritzker appointee. https://www.icc.illinois.gov/about/commissioners/bocanegra
Bocanegra says she will have lots of questions.
Now it’s Sadzi Oliva, Rauner appointee.
“I’m very concerned.”
Decries “complete breakdown of ratepayers trust in ComEd.”
Now it’s Sadzi Oliva, Rauner appointee.
“I’m very concerned.”
Decries “complete breakdown of ratepayers trust in ComEd.”
Oliva concerned ComEd cannot “self-police” itself.
And now she’s questioning ability of Carrie Zalewski to rin the meeting, as we first reported yesterday.
Oliva and Bocamegra asks ComEd executives to be sworn in
And now she’s questioning ability of Carrie Zalewski to rin the meeting, as we first reported yesterday.
Oliva and Bocamegra asks ComEd executives to be sworn in
Carrie Zalewski defends self: “I have not done anything wrong” and tells Oliva she “takes umbrage” at suggestions she’s has a conflict.
She does not mention her father-in-law’s role as a ComEd consultant who allegedly was hired to please Mike Madigan.
She does not mention her father-in-law’s role as a ComEd consultant who allegedly was hired to please Mike Madigan.
Now it’s ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez (left) ...
Dominguez: ComEd’s deferred prosecution agreement with feds “is not a criminal conviction”
Dominguez: ‘Im sorry for that conduct.’ It was a disservice to customers and ComEd workers and ‘there are no excuses.’
‘What has occurred will never happen again.’
‘What has occurred will never happen again.’
Dominguez is accompanied by David Glockner, a former fed who now works for the power company
Dominguez: Limited in what can say today because federal investigation is ongoing and ComEd is cooperating with the probe
Dominguez: “A few orchestrated the improper conduct” while many at ComEd do great work
Dominguez: Nowhere in federal records of corruption case does it say legislation the power company won in Springfield harmed ComEd customers “in any way”
Fact check: Since first of 2 bills mentioned in corruption case were approved, we all are paying ComEd 35% more money each year for delivery of electricity across northern Illinois https://www.wbez.org/stories/the-true-high-cost-were-all-paying-for-comeds-springfield-corruption/000f0b8b-3183-4d7b-b5fc-bee3f2c4d99e
This seems a novel argument even in the extensive annals of Illinois public corruption - we bribed officials for the benefit of ... the people
So Dominguez is saying the bills won during the bribery scheme led to more reliability - and that saved you and me billions because outages cost money ...
What began as an apology by ComEd’s CEO ... has turned clearly into a transparent effort to preserve the lucrative legislation gained during the bribery scheme
Dave Glockner of ComEd says he worked 25 years at US attorney’s office and also focused on “public integrity” at the SEC.
His job at ComEd is to “fix it” by implementing controls ensuring “problems of this type never happen again.”
His job at ComEd is to “fix it” by implementing controls ensuring “problems of this type never happen again.”
Glockner: ComEd has policies in place “but it’s clear in retrospect those policies alone were not enough.”
Employees were in need of more guidance as to how they should interact with public officials ...
Employees were in need of more guidance as to how they should interact with public officials ...
Glockner says new guidelines make clearer what you can and cannot do in interactions with public officials.
Also promises “detailed tracking system” of comed interactions with public officials ...
Also promises “detailed tracking system” of comed interactions with public officials ...
Zalewski asks for more details of process for tacking comed interactions with public officials.
A reminder that ComEd secretly funneled consultant payments to her father in law, ex Ald Mike Zalewski, as part of the bribery scheme
A reminder that ComEd secretly funneled consultant payments to her father in law, ex Ald Mike Zalewski, as part of the bribery scheme
*tracking
ICC Commissioner Bocanegra tells ComEd shes concerned they are left to police themselves
Commish Oliva asks if internal ComEd audits of ethics efforts will be made public.
Agreement by feds requires reports every year for 3 years - but keeps these reports “non-public.”
Agreement by feds requires reports every year for 3 years - but keeps these reports “non-public.”
Glockner talks to ICC about a hypothetical scenario with a state rep who suggests a vendor to ComEd.
Again, fwiw, the ICC chair’s husband is a state rep.
His dad, in turn, was a “subcontractor” to a registered ComEd lobbyist.
Again, fwiw, the ICC chair’s husband is a state rep.
His dad, in turn, was a “subcontractor” to a registered ComEd lobbyist.
Commissioner Bocanegra says she finds it hard to believe ComEd’s assertion they were cleaning up their act anyway, without this federal corruption case
Glockner: “This was a huge miss. We are making some correspondingly huge changes.”
He hopes ComEd culture will change and can become a model.
He hopes ComEd culture will change and can become a model.
Bocanegra: nothing in ComEd reform documents given to ICC indicates any “repercussions” for failing to keep their behavior clean
ComEd CEO Dominguez: $200M fine to feds for corruption ultimately will be taken out of profits paid to shareholders
ICC Commish Oliva says ComEd compliance reports to feds should be public.
The Comed deal with the feds does not require that.
And Comed CEO does NOT commit to making them public - but says he wants the cloud of scandal to go away ...
The Comed deal with the feds does not require that.
And Comed CEO does NOT commit to making them public - but says he wants the cloud of scandal to go away ...
ComEd’s Glockner: “There is a significant public trust deficit” for the state’s largest public utility
After the ICC meeting, Chairman Carrie Zalewski declined to answer when I asked repeatedly if the feds had contacted her.
Another ICC official - who would not ID herself - set a pick between Zalewski and me/ @StacyStClair as Zalewski left the meeting room at the Bilandic Bldg
Another ICC official - who would not ID herself - set a pick between Zalewski and me/ @StacyStClair as Zalewski left the meeting room at the Bilandic Bldg
The ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez and 2 other power company execs who testified today, including former fed Dave Glockner, also would not take media questions after the ICC meeting.
Dominguez made a beeline for the elevator
Dominguez made a beeline for the elevator
To be clear, the state rep who was said to have prompted ComEd’s payments to the elder Zalewski was another member of the Illinois House - Z Jr’s leader, Speaker and State Dem Chair Mike Madigan
