U.S. Attorney John Lausch said in a letter Thursday that his office doesn’t have an issue with an Illinois House committee seeking testimony and documents from witnesses in its inquiry of Speaker Michael Madigan, while also offering some guidelines.
Lausch’s letter provides a road map for the newly formed special investigating committee’s query into the powerful speaker, which in its short existence has already become sharply politicized.
The letter acknowledges the committee will be undertaking an investigation that has parallels with the ongoing federal corruption investigation. The committee is considering whether there are grounds to discipline Madigan in light of admissions by Commonwealth Edison that it in engaged in a “yearslong bribery scheme” aimed at gaining the speaker’s favor.
Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.
Lausch said his office objects to witnesses being asked about grand jury proceedings, communications with prosecutors or federal law enforcement agents related to the federal investigation, as well as any questions that “could reveal confidential information about the course of our investigation and could deter cooperation with our investigation by that witness and others.”
Lausch would also object to the committee asking witnesses to reveal any information they learned from prosecutors or federal agents and requests for documents, information or testimony from his office or federal law enforcement agencies regarding facts about the deferred prosecution agreement with ComEd.
Lausch’s letter follows up on a call he had with the committee’s chair, Democratic state Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, and Republican state Rep. Tom Demmer, on Monday, after which the two gave different takes on the advised parameters Lausch gave for the committee.
Madigan, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing, said in a statement two weeks ago that the committee, created after a petition filed by House GOP leader Jim Durkin, amounted to a “political stunt.”
The partisan jockeying continued after Lausch’s letter came out Thursday. Welch issued a statement that said the letter “confirms our understanding that while this committee can call individuals to voluntarily appear, they would be limited in what they can discuss.”
“We also see clearly that Republican members of this committee attempted to go beyond what has originally been discussed with the U.S. attorney,” Welch said, adding that he won’t allow it to be “used as a stage for political theater.”
Ron Safer, the attorney representing Durkin through the process, said in a statement that Lausch’s office gave the testimony “the green light to pursue all avenues of the investigation, including testimony and documents, that were articulated in the petition.”
The six-person special investigating committee has an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. Authorizing a charge against Madigan would require a majority vote.
Welch said Thursday he was finalizing details for a second committee meeting later this month.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com
