Michael J. Madigan, the former Illinois House Speaker who led the Illinois Democratic Party for decades and long stood as one of the most powerful political figures in the state and the country, has been convicted on charges of bribery and wire fraud.
On Feb. 12, a jury in federal court in Chicago returned a partial verdict, finding Madigan guilty on 10 counts in his federal indictment.
Jurors either deadlocked or found Madigan not guilty on the remaining 13 counts.
Jurors deadlocked on an overarching racketeering charge against the former House Speaker and chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party.
According to published reports, a juror after the trial indicated to reporters that two jurors in particular had proven to be difficult to persuade on that and other counts.
In all, jurors deliberated for more than 10 days following the trial that began in October before U.S. District Judge John R. Blakey.
Madigan was specifically convicted on some of the charges related to his alleged conspiracy with other members of his network of loyalists and allies to lean on electrical utility ComEd to provide bribes in the form of favors, jobs and other benefits in exchange for Madigan's help in pushing through new laws sought by ComEd to allow the company to increase electrical rates on Illinois consumers, as well as to kill legislation opposed by ComEd.
He was also convicted on charges related to his alleged efforts to secure seats on state boards for former Chicago Alderman Danny Solis in exchange for generating business for Madigan's property tax appeal law firm.
Following the verdict, Illinois Republicans and government reform advocates said the verdict should serve as a "wake-up call" for the need for extensive further reforms to Illinois' notoriously corruption-plagued systems of government.
While Madigan was ultimately removed from his spot at the top of Illinois' General Assembly, and ultimately was convicted, they noted the former Speaker was still allowed for decades to use political patronage and government rules which place massive amounts of power under the control of the House Speaker to control the flow of legislation and amass influence and wealth for himself and others in his political operation.
And they noted those systems remain all but unchanged in Springfield and Chicago under the Democrats who continue to dominate the state capitol.
'Time to dismantle that machine'
“Today’s jury delivered justice to Michael Madigan, convicting him for multiple schemes of public corruption,” said David Greising, president of the Better Government Association, in a prepared statement. “Now it is time for the state legislature to take note and act boldly where they so far have been timid: Preventing future corruption by enacting ethics reforms that are long overdue.”
In statement, the Illinois Policy Institute, which has led efforts to detail Madigan's alleged corruption, said Madigan's conviction, while important, stands as but the latest example of the need for reform in the state.
They noted that an Institute analysis found "there have been over 2,100 instances of public officials being convicted of corruption (in Illinois) since 1983 - or over one a week."
The Institute noted that its analysis revealed no other state had laws like Illinois', which are still in place and give the Speaker the ability "to wield unparalleled power."
"Correcting the system that allowed for Madigan to politically dominate the Statehouse as the longest standing House speaker in the history of the country requires dismantling the system itself," said Austin Berg, vice president of marketing for the Illinois Policy Institute. "It's a system that allowed Madigan to leave a legacy of extreme debt, little room for taxpayers' voices and an entrenched political machine."
Berg noted Madigan continues to collect an annual pension of $158,000 from Illinois taxpayers. He urged lawmakers to strip him of that pension following his conviction.
"It's time to dismantle that machine," Berg said.
Illinois Republicans noted the state General Assembly remains flush with legislators who supported Madigan to the end of his tenure and were recipients of his political largesse.
The Illinois House Republican Organization, for instance, produced a list of 13 current Illinois House Democrats who received at least $500,000 from Madigan's political committees. That list included state representatives Terra Costa Howard, Katie Stuart, Suzanne Ness, Michelle Mussman, Joyce Mason, Janet Yang Rohr, Sue Scherer, Fred Crespo, Stephanie Kifowit, Natalie Manley, Harry Benton, Maura Hirschauer and Jehan Gordon-Booth.
"This conviction is a step toward justice, but it is not enough," the House GOP Organization said in a statement. "The culture of corruption in Springfield did not start or end with Mike Madigan. Many members of the General Assembly benefited from his political operation, accepted his money, and enabled his reign. They must be held accountable."
Illinois House Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi added:
"The Illinois Democrat Party is no stranger to corruption and putting its own interest above the Prairie State but it doesn't have to be this way. Most Democrat elected officials will pretend today that they condemn Madigan but their history proves otherwise.
"Make no mistake: Nearly every Democrat in Illinois has benefitted from Madigan's corruption in some way, and they have all been willing to sell their souls for hefty donations and the support of the political machine Madigan built."
Tight-fisted control
Madigan was indicted in 2022 by federal prosecutors, who accused him of leading a criminal racketeering enterprise designed to use the power he had accumulated through the decades at the top of the state Democratic Party and the Illinois General Assembly to further increase his influence and steer profit to himself, his friends, political allies and his law firm, Madigan & Getzendanner.
For nearly four decades, Madigan had served as Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. In that role, and as chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party, Madigan amassed a vast wealth of power, money and influence, across all levels of government in Springfield, Chicago and throughout Illinois.
Madigan held sway over legislation and appointments in Springfield, using his campaign coffers and tight-fisted control of the legislative process and committee assignments to keep Democrats in line and to keep Republicans out of power.
Democrats across the state benefit from his campaign cash, abetting Madigan's rule and refusing to cross the Speaker, in exchange for Madigan's money to ensure their election and advancement.
Among the biggest contributors to Madigan's political organization were labor unions and Illinois trial lawyers.
Democrats particularly rallied around Madigan as recently as 2014-2018, during the years in which Republican Bruce Rauner served in the governor’s office, seeking to advance a range of reforms.
Democrats maintained their support for Madigan throughout most of the years identified in the indictment, from 2011-2021.
Democrats eventually moved to remove Madigan as Speaker in early 2021, only after federal prosecutors indicted several of Madigan’s close associates, and the trail drew ever closer to the former Speaker himself.
After he was removed from the Speaker’s office, Madigan resigned from the Illinois House altogether.
Madigan's indictment came after ComEd agreed to a deal with federal prosecutors stemming from that company's role in the alleged bribery and racketeering conspiracy.
Prosecutors claimed Madigan directed the alleged bribery enterprise, using loyalists in his inner circle to solicit hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash payments to Madigan associates, securing spots on the ComEd board for Madigan allies, and directing business to an unidentified law firm, favored by Madigan.
Madigan was also accused of soliciting and accepting bribes from Solis in 2018 in the form of business from unidentified companies and the owners of unidentified commercial properties in Chicago for his property tax appeal law firm, Madigan & Getzendanner.
That firm has long been known as one of the most influential property tax appeal firms in Chicago and the state.
Critics have long asserted Madigan's firm was among several property tax appeal firms who have benefited from their partners' political influence to reap big business worth big money.
Critics assert the politically-connected firms then use their partners' influence to secure large tax bill reductions for their clients from tax assessors and review boards. Reduced assessments on large commercial properties lead to a need to generate that lost tax revenue from other sources, such as from homeowners or other business owners in that community.
Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, for instance, was convicted on political corruption and extortion charges related to efforts to use his position as chair of the city's powerful Finance Committee to shake down Chicago business people and drum up business for his property tax appeal law firm, Klafter & Burke.
In the Solis-related indictment against Madigan, the former Speaker was accused of agreeing in exchange for Solis' help to attempt to persuade the “future Governor of the State of Illinois” JB Pritzker to appoint Solis to a seat on a state board and help a relative of the alderman secure a state job. According to the indictment, Madigan said he would meet with then-Gov. Elect Pritzker in late 2018 “to let the Governor-elect ‘know what’s coming next.’”
Pritzker has denied he discussed that request with Madigan, and did not appoint Solis to any position.
Pritzker, however, remained on the sidelines throughout the debate over whether to remove the powerful Madigan, even as Madigan's close associates were criminally implicated and it became apparent he could be indicted amid the ComEd bribery investigation and prosecution.
Prosecutors further allege Madigan used his power in state government to guide through a transfer of a Chicago Chinatown parking lot from the Illinois Department of Transportation to private developers, in exchange for more work for his law firm.
Madigan was not convicted on those charges.
Some Illinois Democrats issued statements applauding the verdict.
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy said: "That there will be some measure of accountability for the decades of abuse of power and corruption is critically important and will have implications for our state government for generations. Particularly in a moment when our federal government has been subsumed by blatantly corrupt forces, we need our state government to be trustworthy to the public and focused on the will of the people, not self-interest. This verdict will help move us toward that goal."
Cassidy was among 19 House Democrats who refused to support Madigan's bid to retain his office as Speaker in 2021, ultimately leading to his ouster.
Illinois State Senate President Don Harmon 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. We cannot be effective if people don’t trust us.
"Yet, every failure is an opportunity to be better. In recent years, we have worked to restore that trust through balanced budgets, credit rating upgrades, community investments and sweeping, bipartisan ethics reform.
"Today’s verdict is a sobering reminder that our work is never finished."
New Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, a former Madigan lieutenant in the House, who was selected to replace Madigan as Speaker in 2021, said: “I have always believed that a court of law was the place for this to all be sorted out. Today’s outcome leaves me with great appreciation and respect for our legal system. Investigators, prosecutors, and a jury of Illinoisans did their job.”