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Longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan denies having done anything criminal or improper, despite being implicated Friday in court filings that charge utility Commonwealth Edison with bribery.

Friday’s court filing details an arrangement in which ComEd admits to arranging jobs, contracts and payoffs to Madigan associates, some of whom did little or no work for the company, from 2011 to 2019 in order to win influence and curry favor with Madigan, given the powerful legislator’s ability to help ComEd advance laws that benefitted the company by paving the way for higher electric rates.

ComEd admits to payouts of approximately $1.3 million in exchange for a pair of laws that relaxed regulators’ oversight of ComEd’s rate-setting structure that benefited the company to the tune of $150 million.

“In many ways this agreement, including and specifically ComEd’s statement of facts, should speak for itself. But it also speaks volumes about the nature of a very stubborn public corruption problem we have here in Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch. “The admitted facts detail a nearly decadelong corruption scheme involving top management of a large public utility, leaders in state government, consultants and several others inside and outside government. In two words: It’s not good.”

A “vibrant” corruption investigation is ongoing, Lausch said.

Madigan has denied any wrongdoing or participation in such a scheme.