ComEd Enters Formal Plea In Bribery Case, Prosecution Being Deferred

ComEd is formally pleading not guilty in a federal bribery case. The company has made an agreement with the government to defer prosecution for three years. The charges will be dropped at the end of the period if the company pays a record 200-million-dollar fine and cooperates with an ongoing investigation into its lobbying practices. Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan has been implicated in the scheme.