In yet more corruption news from America’s wokest states, a Chicago Democrat who was the longest serving legislative leader in American history, serving as House Speaker for nearly 30 years and holding his sear for about five decades while also serving as head of the state Democratic Party, has been found guilty on 10 counts of public corruption.
That is former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who was once known as “the Velvet Hammer” for his forceful but not abrasive style of leadership. On Tuesday, February 12, a jury found him guilty of 10 counts and acquitted him on 7 of the charges he faced. The jury couldn’t reach a decision on the remaining 6 counts.
The jury’s deliberations took 10 days, and the overarching racketeering conspiracy charge was among the charges it was deadlocked on. However, despite the deadlock on that big question, acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual called Madigan’s conviction “historic,” as it is one of the biggest public corruption cases ever to take place in Chicago.
The situation that led to the charges and guilty verdict involved conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud involving Illinois’ largest utility provider, ComEd. Further, Madigan faced the same sort of charges over incidents that occurred while he was trying to get a state board job for a Chicago alderman. While he faced similar charges related to an apartment building, a parking lot in Chinatown, and legislation for AT&T, he was acquitted on some of those charges, and on the others, the jury was deadlocked.
Overall, Madigan was generally accused of using his influence as a longtime party leader to pass legislation that was favorable to companies, such as ComEd, that would dole out things like kickbacks, jobs, and similar benefits to his allies in exchange for that legislation he got passed. Madigan, defending his behavior, said, “When people asked me for help, if possible, I tried to help them.”
The sentencing for Madigan on the counts he was found guilty of has not yet occurred. Further, it is not yet clear if the prosecution will seek another trial on the charges on which the jury remained deadlocked or if it will just go with the successes in getting convictions it has had so far. Even if only the current convictions are used for sentencing, Madigan will face significant jail time, as the wire fraud charges alone carry a maximum penalty of 20 years.
Commenting on the case’s outcome, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, a Democrat, noted that corruption of this sort, while prevalent, can’t be tolerated. He said, “The jury’s verdict closes a long, disturbing chapter in Illinois’ history. It’s a stark reminder that corruption, abuse of power and manipulation of public policy for personal gain can never be tolerated.”
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His longtime confidant and “mouthpiece,” Michael McClain, a former lobbyist and state legislator who was convicted in 2024 of bribery in a case involving ComEd, was charged and standing trial alongside Madigan. McClain, however, in this case, wasn’t convicted, as the jury remained deadlocked on all charges. His attorney, Patrick Cotter, said, “He was an innocent man when he walked in. He’s walking out an innocent man.”
Featured image credit: By illinoislawmakers – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7C51rHSd6w, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37103414