Utility giant Commonwealth Edison and parent Exelon received a federal subpoena last week demanding they turn over “communications” between the companies and state Sen. Martin Sandoval, whose offices and home were raided by the FBI in September.
The disclosure ties Sandoval, the powerful chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, for the first time to an ongoing federal probe of ComEd and its lobbying activities in Springfield.
In a filing Wednesday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Exelon said the Oct. 4 subpoena from the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago required “production of communications between Exelon and ComEd with certain individuals and entities,” including Sandoval.
The filing said the companies have “cooperated fully” with prosecutors’ requests and will continue to do so with any future inquiries. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, Exelon has formed a special oversight committee “comprising solely independent directors and advised by independent outside legal counsel” to handle the matter, the statement said.
Sandoval’s daughter, Angie, works for ComEd as a senior account representative.
A spokesman for U.S. Attorney John Lausch declined to comment Thursday. Sandoval could not be reached for comment.
The Sandoval subpoena was received 10 days after federal agents raided the senator’s state Capitol office on Sept. 24, looking for a wide range of information — from concrete and construction businesses to lobbyists, public officials and “items related to any official action taken in exchange for a benefit,” according to documents released by the Illinois Senate.
FBI and IRS agents also raided Sandoval’s regional office in Cicero and his Southwest Side home that same day, as well as the Bartlett office of Bluff City Materials, a sand and gravel operation owned by construction magnate Michael Vondra, a major Sandoval campaign donor.
Two days later, similar raids unfolded at village halls in suburban McCook and Lyons, while FBI agents also conducted “investigative activity” in nearby Summit. Records released by McCook last week show agents targeted the office of Mayor Jeffrey Tobolski, who doubles as a Cook County commissioner.
The Chicago Tribune has reported that clout-heavy red-light camera company Safespeed LLC, which does millions of dollars in business in suburbs within Sandoval’s district, is one focus of the federal probe that sparked the raids.
The ComEd lobbying investigation, meanwhile, dates back to at least mid-May when the FBI executed search warrants at the homes of former lobbyist Mike McClain of Quincy, a longtime confidant of House Speaker Michael Madigan, and ex-23rd Ward Ald. Michael Zalewski.
The information sought by the FBI included records of communications among Madigan, McClain and Zalewski about attempts to get ComEd lobbying work for Zalewski, the Tribune has reported.
Also in mid-May, the FBI raided the Chicago home of Ald. Marty Quinn’s brother, Kevin, a political and government operative Madigan parted ways with last year amid sexual harassment allegations.
ComEd first disclosed in June that it had received a federal grand jury subpoena “requiring production of information concerning their lobbying activities” in Illinois.
rlong@chicagotribune.com
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
