Ex-Illinois House Speaker convicted on charges at trial that exposed Dem. greed
Michael Madigan who in his hey-day rubbed elbows with elites like Barack Obama
By
Michael Madigan, the long-serving Illinois House Speaker who in his hey-day rubbed elbows with elites like Barack Obama, was convicted Wednesday on 10 federal charges after a long-running influence peddling trial that exposed corruption and greed inside the state’s Democrat establishment.
Madigan stood stoic as the jury rendered a mixed verdict, which included deadlocking on an overarching racketeering conspiracy as well as six counts that Madigan’s codefendant, Michael McClain, was jointly charged with. The jury also acquitted the former speaker on seven counts.
Madigan, 82, who also served for years as Illinois Democratic Party chairman, faces years in prison after the conviction, which is likely to be appealed.
He was charged in March 2022 with 23 counts of bribery, racketeering and official misconduct in connection with a scheme involving an electric utility that federal prosecutors dubbed “Madigan enterprise.”
Prosecutors alleged in a trial that stretched months that the utility ComEd and AT&T Illinois doled out no-work or little-work jobs and contracts to Madigan loyalists to ensure the passage of beneficial legislation.
Four executives and lobbyists were convicted after a separate trial and Four ComEd itself agreed to pay $200 million in fines as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with prosecutors.
The trial exposed a dark, seedy and corrupt pay-to-play culture inside Illinois’ statehouse, which has long been dominated by Democrats and gave rise to national luminaries like Obama.
The conviction ends a “long, disturbing chapter in Illinois’ history,” State Senate President Don Harmon declared shortly after the case ended.
“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,” Harmon said.
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(TLB) published this report with permission of John Solomon at Just the News. Click Here to read about the staff at Just the News
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