Former ComEd official charged in federal bribery probe

CHICAGO (AP) - A former ComEd vice president has been charged with bribery conspiracy, the first criminal charge tied to a federal probe that has implicated House Speaker Michael Madigan.

The one-count criminal information document charging Fidel Marquez became public late Friday, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Federal prosecutors in July said the electric utility agreed to pay $200 million to resolve a federal criminal investigation into a long-running bribery scheme of the company arranging jobs and vendor subcontracts 'Å“for various associates of a high-level elected official for the state of Illinois" identified as the speaker in other court records.

Madigan has not been charged and has maintained that he has done nothing wrong.

House Republicans this week requested an inquiry by an Illinois House investigative panel. Several Democrats have separately called for Madigan to resign.

The court document filed Friday alleges that Marquez solicited jobs, contracts and payments to benefit Madigan and his associates to influence legislation that benefited ComEd.

The Tribune reported that it could not reach Marquez or his attorney for comment Friday.