Latest news with #McClain
Chicago Tribune
5 hours ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Michael McClain, lobbyist and Madigan confidant at the center of the ComEd bribery scandal, finally faces sentencing
Of all the players swirling in the bribery scandal involving former House Speaker Michael Madigan, from precinct captains and political directors to legislators and lobbyists, one man held the ultimate catbird seat: Michael Francis McClain. As a longtime lobbyist for utility giant Commonwealth Edison who doubled as Madigan's closest confidant, McClain toiled for years in relative obscurity, known mostly by Springfield insiders and political reporters as the former legislator from downstate Quincy with the thick prescription glasses who always seemed to be hanging around Madigan's office suite in the Capitol. But it was through his close relationship with Illinois' most powerful and reticent politician, prosecutors say, that McClain was able to leverage knowledge of the speaker's thinking to induce ComEd executives to lavish money on Madigan's cronies and scramble to meet his myriad other demands. Now, more than two years after McClain's conviction in the historic 'ComEd Four' bribery case, McClain is scheduled to learn his fate Thursday at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, where he faces sentencing in what has become one of the biggest bribery scandals in state history. McClain, 77, will be the third of the four defendants to be sentenced in the case, and as with the others, U.S. District Judge Manish Shah will have wide latitude in deciding a punishment. Earlier this week, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore was given two years in prison, while John Hooker, the utility's former top internal lobbyist, received a year and a half behind bars at a hearing last week. Consultant Jay Doherty, the former head of the City Club of Chicago, will be sentenced next month. Prosecutors on Tuesday asked for a 15-month prison term for Doherty, saying his 'discreet handling and willingness to conceal the true nature' of subcontractor payments to Madigan associates were 'vitally important' to the scheme. Prosecutors have asked for nearly six years in prison for McClain, writing in a recent court filing that the 'stunning' scheme was his brainchild and was 'illegal to its core.' 'In securing benefits for both Madigan and ComEd, McClain corrupted the legislative process and the internal control processes of a large, regulated utility,' prosecutors said. 'McClain's repeated overstepping of legal lines in this case is stunning.' McClain's attorneys asked for probation, stating in a filing of their own that McClain merely passed along 'a handful of job recommendations' from Madigan because of his powerful position as speaker and the fact that they were close friends. 'Doing so was legal and constitutionally protected lobbying,' defense attorneys Patrick Cotter and David Niemeier wrote. 'The government's failure to make the critical distinction between a favor done with intent to lawfully curry favor with a public official, as opposed to the trading of gifts for actions done by that official, was at the heart of this case.' The hearing marks an important milestone in McClain's legal saga, which began in May 2019 when the feds raided his home. Four years later, in May 2023, he was found guilty on all counts in the ComEd Four trial. That was followed by another trial with Madigan himself that ended earlier this year with a jury hung on all counts against McClain. The sentencing also happens to come six years to the day that the Tribune first reported the feds were looking into thousands of dollars in checks that McClain and other ComEd-connected lobbyists had sent to Kevin Quinn, a top Madigan political operative ousted after he was accused of sexually harassing a campaign staffer. Later in 2019, the Tribune first disclosed McClain's cellphone had been wiretapped by the FBI — which ultimately formed the lynchpin of the entire investigation. In the ensuing years, Illinois has gotten to know McClain in a level of detail far beyond most criminal defendants. Through three criminal trials, including the perjury case against former Madigan chief of staff Tim Mapes, there have been dozens of wiretapped calls played in court and hundreds of his emails publicly displayed, conversations that painted a picture of how McClain used his unfettered access to Madigan to get some of Illinois' top executives to scramble to meet their demands. The wiretaps and other evidence revealed McClain's use of crude code words for Madigan, often referring to the speaker as 'our Friend' or 'Himself,' as well as his penchant for archaic military terminology, such as when he told Madigan in a retirement note he would remain 'at the bridge with my musket' for the speaker. The communications also captured McClain at his most blunt, telling Pramaggiore in an email in 2016 that ComEd's reluctance to kick more money to a Madigan-preferred law firm would have dire repercussions down the road. 'I know the drill and so do you,' he wrote to Pramaggiore. 'If you do not get involved and resolve this issue of 850 hours for his law firm per year then he will go to our Friend. Our Friend will call me and then I will call you. Is this a drill we must go through?' In his sentencing filing, McClain's attorney, Patrick Cotter, noted that witnesses at trial all testified McClain was an extremely skilled lobbyist and hard worker, someone who sought, as all good lobbyists do, to build relationships with powerful politicians and advocate his clients' positions. What's more, Cotter wrote, there was nothing illegal about his overtures, regardless of how they were articulated. 'Simply put, over almost a decade, Mr. McClain passed along and advocated for a handful of job recommendations from Madigan because of Madigan's position both as an influential member of the General Assembly and, in no small measure, because Madigan was Mr. McClain's old and close friend,' Cotter wrote. 'Doing so was legal and constitutionally protected lobbying. It should not have been treated as a crime.' Cotter also said it would be 'unjust' to make McClain a scapegoat for the state's history of political corruption or some abstract symbol 'to promote whatever current notion (prosecutors) maintain of 'good government.'' 'Mr. McClain has not held political office in over 30 years,' Cotter wrote. 'He is neither responsible for, nor is it just to punish him to any degree for generations of the way politics has been conducted by other people in this state, or practices that pre-date his birth and may, one suspects, continue in various, perhaps different, incarnations long after he is gone.' McClain and his three co-defendants — Pramaggiore, Hooker and Doherty — were convicted on all counts in May 2023 after a two-month trial. The case was then beset by a series of delays, first because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that reset the rules for a key federal bribery statute and then again after the death of the judge who'd presided over the trial, Harry Leinenweber. The bulk of the ComEd allegations centered on a cadre of Madigan allies who were paid a total of $1.3 million from 2011 through 2019 through allegedly do-nothing consulting contracts. Among the recipients were two former aldermen, Frank Olivo and Michael Zalewski, precinct captains Ray Nice and Edward Moody, and former state Rep. Edward Acevedo. In addition, prosecutors alleged ComEd also hired a clouted law firm run by political operative Victor Reyes, distributed numerous college internships within Madigan's 13th Ward fiefdom, and backed former McPier chief Juan Ochoa, a friend of a Madigan ally, for an $80,000-a-year seat on the utility's board of directors, the indictment alleged. In return, prosecutors alleged, Madigan used his influence over the General Assembly to help ComEd score a series of huge legislative victories that not only rescued the company from financial instability but led to record-breaking, billion-dollar profits. Among them was the 2011 smart grid bill that set a built-in formula for the rates ComEd could charge customers, avoiding battles with the Illinois Commerce Commission, according to the charges. ComEd also leaned on Madigan's office to help pass the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016, which kept the formula rate in place and also rescued two nuclear plants run by an affiliated company, Exelon Generation. Madigan, meanwhile, was convicted in a separate trial of an array of schemes that included the ComEd bribery payments. He was sentenced in June to seven and a half years in prison. Defense attorneys for the ComEd Four have repeatedly argued the government was seeking to criminalize legal lobbying and job recommendations that are at the heart of the state's legitimate political system. But prosecutors say the entire scope of the scheme is still fair game, even if the specific bribery counts were dropped — a position that Shah has agreed with.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Cattleman accused of swindling investors in ‘ghost' cows ruse
Now, attorneys, investigators, his alleged victims and his grieving family have been left to pick up the pieces. On July 10, attorneys from Bryant Law Centre, Strauss Troy and William F McMurry and Associates filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of residents in Kentucky who, they allege, were defrauded in a cattle investment Ponzi scheme. The lawsuit accuses Community Financial Services Bank, Rabo AgriFinance and Mechanics Bank of enabling the scheme by providing financial backing and ignoring 'clear signs of misconduct, causing devastating financial losses for dozens of Kentucky investors'. About six years ago, Brian McClain began seeking investors for his cattle business. According to Drovers, who spoke to sources familiar with the scheme, McClain offered a 'guarantee' of a 30pc return on investment. The cattleman operated a trio of businesses. He used them to aggregate cattle from various sources throughout Kentucky, south-east US, Texas and Oklahoma. His companies would then send the cattle to locations in Kentucky or Texas, where they'd be treated for any outstanding medical issues and grown for slaughter. He did have cattle. Some of his early investors did profit. But, according to the lawsuit, those early investors were paid with cash infusions from newer investors. It was, allegedly, a Ponzi scheme. McClain's operation began to unravel in February 2023 when Rabo AgriFinance, his lender, ordered an inventory check. At least 102 creditors from 14 states, as well as investors from Alberta, Canada, are owed money by the companies McClain controlled. Mark Bryant, the founder of Bryant Law Centre, said the suit was 'about fairness and transparency'. 'Innocent, hard-working Kentuckians were misled and financially harmed by a system that prioritised profit over people. We believe the law is on their side.'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Taiwan tensions: US House passes deterrence bill; threatens to expose CCP elite's assets if China invades
Representative image (Picture credit: ANI) In a strong bipartisan move aimed at deterring a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan, the US House of Representatives on Monday passed the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act, a legislation that seeks to expose the financial assets and corruption of top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials if Beijing wages war on the self-ruled island. The bill, introduced in February by Republican Lisa McClain and Democrat Brad Sherman, specifically targets members of the CCP's Politburo Standing Committee and other senior Chinese officials involved in Taiwan-related matters. If enacted, it would direct the US treasury department to publicly disclose the financial holdings and offshore assets of these officials and their immediate family members. According to the news agency CNA, the bill mandates the treasury secretary to publish a report identifying financial institutions and accounts tied to senior Chinese officials, and to restrict major transactions involving their family members. A public summary of this report is required to be made available on Treasury platforms in both English and Chinese. 'This bill communicates a clear and bipartisan warning: should the CCP wage war against Taiwan, there will be repercussions,' McClain said during the bill's voice vote, as quoted by news agency ANI. 'We are discussing real, targeted actions against corrupt CCP elites, with their financial activities and offshore accounts being revealed and made accessible for the Chinese public', McClain added. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 most beautiful women in the world Undo by Taboola by Taboola McClain also underscored Taiwan's importance in global supply chains, particularly semiconductors and its role as a democratic ally. 'The United States cannot afford to be complacent in the face of increasing Chinese aggression,' she said, noting that regional peace in the Indo-Pacific directly affects American economic and strategic interests. The bill now moves to the Senate for approval before it can be signed into law by the President. A similar version of the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act had passed the House unanimously in the previous legislative session. The development comes amid growing Chinese military activity around Taiwan. On Tuesday, Taiwan's ministry of national defence (MND) reported that eight Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships and two official vessels were spotted operating near the island. While no PLA aircraft were detected that day, a day earlier, one Chinese aircraft had crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered Taiwan's northern air defence identification zone (ADIZ), the MND said in a post on X. Meanwhile, Taiwan's vice president Hsiao Bi-khim reaffirmed Taipei's determination to protect national security. 'Taiwan does not live in a vacuum,' she said at a recent briefing with foreign diplomats and journalists, as quoted by Taipei Times. 'We operate at the centre of one of the world's most dynamic and contested geopolitical environments.' She described Beijing's recent actions, including military provocations, grey-zone tactics and economic coercion, as increasingly aggressive since President William Lai took office in May 2024. 'To deter these risks, we are reforming and integrating our national defence strategy, rooted not only in military modernisation, but also in the resilience of our entire society,' Hsiao said. As geopolitical tensions mount in the Indo-Pacific, the recently concluded Talisman Sabre 2025, a major multinational military exercise in Australia, also signalled growing allied resolve to counter China's assertiveness in the region. The drills included amphibious landings, airborne drops and the live firing of the US Army's Typhon missile system, with the notional adversary modelled closely on China. Though the US Army insists the exercise is not aimed at any specific country, senior American commanders acknowledged the deterrence message embedded in the drills. 'To be able to directly deliver an infantry battalion with its command that is situationally aware and physically optimised onto a drop zone 7,000 miles away... should scare adversaries,' said Colonel Brian Weightman of the 11th Airborne Division, as quoted by ANI.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
US House passes Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act to expose CCP corruption if China attacks Taiwan
The US House of Representatives approved a bill designed to discourage military action by China by revealing the corruption of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials should such an incident occur regarding Taiwan, on Monday, according to a report from Central News Agency (CNA). This bipartisan legislation , called the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act , was introduced in early February by Republican Lisa McClain and Democrat Brad Sherman, and it specifically targets members of the CCP's Politburo Standing Committee and other high-ranking officials involved with Taiwan-related issues, as reported by CNA. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MCA Digital Marketing others PGDM Management Finance healthcare CXO Degree Project Management MBA Data Analytics Public Policy Technology Design Thinking Cybersecurity Product Management Artificial Intelligence Healthcare Data Science Leadership Others Operations Management Data Science Skills you'll gain: Programming Proficiency Data Handling & Analysis Cybersecurity Awareness & Skills Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Master of Computer Applications Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details The bill stipulates that "the Secretary of the Treasury must publish a report detailing financial institutions and accounts tied to senior officials of the People's Republic of China, to limit financial services for certain family members of these officials, and for other purposes." It grants the treasury secretary the authority to block CCP officials from accessing funds held in U.S. financial institutions and requires that a public summary or portions of the report be available on the Treasury Department's website and social media platforms in both Chinese and English. Additionally, the bill mandates that the treasury secretary prevent financial institutions from engaging in major transactions with the immediate family of the specified officials, according to the CNA report. "The United States cannot afford to be complacent in the face of increasing Chinese aggression," McClain stated before the bill's voice vote on Monday. "As a representative from Michigan, a state that understands the importance of manufacturing, trade, and global stability, I recognise how essential peace in the Indo Pacific is to American jobs and our economy," she remarked, as quoted by the CNA report. Live Events The Republican representative later characterised Taiwan as a democratic ally and an essential player in the global supply chain, particularly in the semiconductor sector. "This bill communicates a clear and bipartisan warning: should the CCP wage war against Taiwan, there will be repercussions," McClain asserted. "We are discussing real, targeted actions against corrupt CCP elites, with their financial activities and offshore accounts being revealed and made accessible for the Chinese public," she stated, according to the CNA report. The bill must be approved by the Senate before it can be enacted into law by the US President. The Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act was unanimously approved by the House in the previous session.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Space station astronauts bid farewell to private Ax-4 crew
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The visiting Axiom Mission-4 (Ax-4) crew returned to Earth this week from the International Space Station, leaving the seven Expedition 73 astronauts and cosmonauts to continue research and maintenance activities aboard the orbiting lab. Orbital observation The "most magical place on Earth" as seen from a "star" above. Expedition 73 flight engineer Anne McClain, a NASA astronaut, captured this photo of Orlando, Florida — home to the Walt Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks — during a nighttime flyover by the International Space Station. "Orlando has a surprising amount of orange sodium vapor lighting dotted around it," wrote NASA astronaut Don Pettit, responding to McClain's photo. Science status Among the research that was conducted by the Expedition 73 crew aboard the space station this week was: CIPHER — NASA astronauts Jonny Kim, Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain took part in studies that were part of the "Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research on Varying Mission Durations." Kim and McClain used an ultrasound machine to measure blood flow, while Ayers and McClain used virtual reality googles to test how microgravity affects the sense of balance. Muscle Stimulation — Ayers and Kim worked together on a study of whether sending electrical impulses into astronauts' legs can supplement exercise to combat muscular atrophy. Ayers wore the electrodes, while Kim operated the equipment. Real-time scans — McClain also donned electrodes for two ultrasound scans that were monitored by doctors on the ground. The data collected is supporting an ongoing study of the cardiovascular risks of long-duration spaceflight. Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Kirill Peskov also ran on a treadmill to determine how much physical activity is required to stay ready to perform spacewalks and be subjected to increased gravity loads on their return to Earth. Station keeping The Expedition 73 crew also devoted time to maintaining the space station's systems, including: Boost — A Russian resupply craft, Progress MS-30 (91P) docked to the aft port of the Zvezda service module, fired its engines for about 12 minutes on Wednesday (July 16) to give the space station an orbital boost, setting up for the arrival of the next crew early next month. Microgravity Measurement Apparatus — Expedition 73 commander Takuya Onishi with JAXA replaced a device that tracks how the Kibo laboratory vibrates in response to crew and spacecraft movements, motions that could impact research being conducted in the module. Catalytic reactor — Anne McClain replaced a component of the station's water processor assembly that adds oxygen and oxidizes organics in the collected wastewater. Astronaut activity Axiom Mission 4 After 18 days at the International Space Station, the Axiom Mission-4 crew on board SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft "Grace" undocked and returned to Earth this week. Commander Peggy Whitson, pilot Shubhanshu Shukla and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu splashed down off the coast of California on Tuesday (July 15). The four crew members conducted more than 60 scientific experiments from 31 countries — more than any other commercial mission — studying life sciences, conducting materials research, observing Earth and demonstrating new technologies. Whitson, Shukla, Uznański-Wiśniewski adn Kapu also took part in 20 outreach events, speaking with scientists, students and government officials. By the numbers As of Friday (July 18), there are 7 people aboard the International Space Station: Expedition 73 commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA, Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers and Jonny Kim of NASA and Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky of Roscosmos, all flight engineers. Ax-4 commander Peggy Whitson, pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of ISRO and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of ESA and Tibor Kapu of HUNOR returned to Earth on SpaceX's Dragon "Grace" on Tuesday (July 15). There are two docked crew spacecraft: SpaceX's Dragon "Endurance" attached to the forward port of the Harmony module and Roscosmos' Soyuz MS-27 attached to the Earth-facing port of the Prichal node. There are two docked cargo spacecraft: Roscosmos' Progress MS-30 (91P) attached to the aft port of the Zvezda service module, and Progress MS-31 (92P) docked to the space-facing port of the Poisk module. As of Friday, the space station has been continuously crewed for 24 years, 8 months and 17 days. Solve the daily Crossword
