Jury Finds Former IL House Speaker Madigan Guilty On 10 Counts

CHICAGO — Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan was found guilty on 10 counts Wednesday during his federal trial for corruption, according to multiple reports. He was found guilty of conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, among other charges, but not racketeering.

Jurors had told a judge earlier in the day they had reached a unanimous decision on 17 counts, but were unlikely to be able to agree on another 12. Madigan was found guilty of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, four counts of using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity, three counts of wire fraud, and two counts of bribery.

Madigan was found not guilty on four charges: using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity, two bribery counts, and an attempted extortion count.

Madigan, 82, and his codefendant and longtime confidant, lobbyist Michael McClain, were facing an indictment that charged them with racketeering, conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud. The 117-page, 29-count indictment, filed in October 2022, can be found here.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, evidence at trial revealed that Madigan, who served as House Speaker and occupied a number of other political roles, conspired with others to cause the utility company Commonwealth Edison to make monetary payments to Madigan's associates as a reward for their loyalty to Madigan, in return for performing little or no legitimate work for the business. The true nature of the payments was to influence and reward Madigan in connection with specific legislation ComEd sought in the Illinois General Assembly.

The feds also said Madigan was convicted of scheming to accept legal work unlawfully steered to his private law firm and his son by an Alderman of the Chicago City Council, in exchange for Madigan's assistance in inducing the Governor of Illinois to appoint the Alderman to a compensated State Board position.

Judge Robert Blakey declared a mistrial as to all six deadlocked counts against a co-defendant, McClain, 77, of Quincy. McClain was charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, one count of bribery, one count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, and one count of using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity.

Madigan, a Democrat, was the longest-serving leader of any state or federal legislative body in the history of the United States. He held the position for all but two years, from 1983 to 2021.

The jury returned its verdicts against Madigan after a four-month trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Each wire fraud count is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, while each bribery count is punishable by up to ten years.

"Today, the jury confirmed what the public has suspected for years – that Mike Madigan built a political machine to favor his friends and enrich himself at the expense of Illinois families," Illinois House Republican Organization said in a statement. "For decades, he used his office to consolidate power, reward allies, and protect a corrupt system that put special interests ahead of taxpayers."

"The Madigan verdict by a jury of everyday Illinoisians is an important message to anyone in government — or those thinking about public service — that if you choose corruption you will be found out, and you will be punished," Gov. JB Pritzker said.

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