By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – There is another delay of the next hearing of the special investigative committee of Illinois House members looking into the “deferred prosecution agreement” between the U.S. attorney’s office and Commonwealth Edison. The utility has admitted attempting to bribe House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago), who has not been charged and who has denied wrongdoing.

The reasons: the refusal of a key witness – a former Com Ed executive – to testify; the length of time it is taking Com Ed to come up with some documents; and concerns over COVID-19.

The committee’s chairman, State Rep. Chris Welch (D-Hillside), says the postponement should not surprise Republicans. “Their attorney and our attorney have been present at every meeting we’ve had with Com Ed,” Welch said Wednesday afternoon.

“You don’t conduct an investigation only by asking for volunteers to testify,” said the GOP’s top man on the committee, State Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon). “You also use the (subpoena) power to bring in individuals you need to hear from in order to be able to make a qualified judgment.”

By the way, being asked to investigatie Speaker Madigan — isn’t that like being asked to investigate your own boss?

“Let’s be clear,” said Welch. “The speaker is not our superior; he is our colleague, and we vote on him to be speaker. We choose him to be our speaker, but he is still our co-equal and is a fellow representative in the General Assembly.”

No date has been set for the committee’s next meeting.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]