A federal judge sentenced former Commonwealth Edison lobbyist John Hooker to 18 months in prison for his role in a $1.3 million bribery scheme aimed at securing favorable legislation from then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Prosecutors said Hooker helped arrange no-show subcontracting jobs for five Madigan allies while disguising the payments in the utility’s books to advance ComEd’s legislative agenda in Springfield. U.S. District Judge Manish Shah, announcing the punishment in Chicago on Monday, rejected defense pleas for probation and said the sentence needed to reflect corruption that reached “consequential public policy, far-reaching legislation and legislative functions.” Prosecutors had asked for nearly five years, arguing Hooker “deceived internal auditors, ratepayers and shareholders” and later lied on the witness stand. Hooker, 76, is the first of the four defendants—dubbed the “ComEd Four”—to be sentenced after a May 2023 jury convicted them of conspiracy and records-falsification charges. Former ComEd chief executive Anne Pramaggiore and lobbyist Michael McClain face sentencing next week, while consultant Jay Doherty is scheduled for August. Madigan was separately sentenced earlier this month to 7½ years in prison for related conduct.