Illinois State House District 75 issued the following announcement on July 20
State Representatives David Allen Welter (R-Morris) and Keith Wheeler (R-Oswego) are calling for a joint hearing of the House Public Utilities and Energy & Environment Committees to investigate the lobbying and bribery practices of ComEd during the period of 2011-2019 to determine the impact on ratepayers both residential and commercial in terms of higher costs passed on to them as a result.
The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois filed charges against Commonwealth Edison on July 17 that detailed corruption related to the company’s efforts to influence and reward “Public Official A”, believed to be House Speaker Michael Madigan, in order to receive passage of legislation favorable to the utility.
“While the U.S. Attorney’s Office investigated criminal activity during the time period in question related to ComEd’s efforts to influence “Public Official A” in order to get legislation they wanted passed, the issue of what impact those activities had on ratepayers and state policy needs to be fully investigated and made public,” Rep. Keith Wheeler said.
Rep. David Welter added, “ComEd employs nearly 6,300 hardworking and dedicated professionals throughout Chicago and northern Illinois who are ratepayers too. They and every ComEd customer in Illinois deserve accountability in the form of answers as to what cost the bribery allegations specified by the U.S. Attorney’s Office had on ratepayers. If you paid more for electricity because of corruption, you deserve to know all the facts about it.”
Wheeler and Welter sent a joint letter to Representative Ann Williams (D-Chicago), Chairperson of the Energy & Environment Committee and Representative Larry Walsh, Jr. (D-Joliet), Chairperson of the Public Utilities Committee requesting that the two committees hold a joint hearing to investigate the impact on ratepayers of ComEd’s activities during the period outlined in the U.S. Attorney’s court filing on Friday.
A copy of the letter from Representatives Wheeler and Welter can be viewed HERE.
For questions, please call Representative Welter’s office at 815-416-1475 or Representative Wheeler’s office at 630-345-3464.
Original source can be found here.
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