CHICAGO (AP) – Federal prosecutors recently made clear that Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is a subject of a criminal investigation into influence peddling to benefit an energy utility. The question now is whether the Democrat and the nation’s longest-serving statehouse speaker will actually be charged. Some legal experts say that signs from the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago are that Madigan will be charged sooner rather than later. A deferred prosecution agreement filed by prosecutors last week referred to a “Public Official A” as the one ComEd sought to “influence and reward.” The filing went on to say the official was “the Speaker of the House of Representatives.”
