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Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan arrives at federal court for sentencing in corruption case
CHICAGO — Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan arrived Friday at the federal courthouse in downtown Chicago for his historic sentencing in a long-running corruption case that shook the state's political world to the core. Madigan, 83, who for years was widely hailed as the most powerful politician in the state, gave a slight smile as he strode past a horde of television news cameras with his lawyers and family members without comment. Carrying a briefcase and umbrella, he then headed to the 12th floor courtroom of U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey, who is scheduled to begin the hearing at 1 p.m. The hearing is expected to last two hours or more. With seating limited in Blakey's courtroom, an overflow courtroom has been set up on the courthouse's 17th floor. Before hearing arguments, Blakey must first determine the sentencing guidelines in the case, though it's no longer mandatory for him to follow them. It's unclear whether Madigan's team intends to call live witnesses on his behalf, but before the judge imposes the sentence, the famously taciturn former speaker will be given a chance to make a statement of his own. It's the most highly anticipated sentencing in a Chicago public corruption case since former Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich more than a decade ago, and U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey has a wide range of options at his disposal. The difference between the recommendations of the two sides is stark. Prosecutors have asked for 12 ½ years in prison, while the ex-speaker's team requested five years of probation, with the first year on home confinement. One big question is whether the letters Blakey received on Madigan's behalf will help persuade him to go easy on the longest-serving speaker in American history. Under the federal rules, the judge must also balance the seriousness of the crime and the need for deterrence, both for Madigan and others who might be tempted to commit similar acts, with the ex-speaker's background, personal traits, family history and other good works. In justifying a lengthy prison sentence, prosecutors have argued Madigan used his public office to increase his power, line his own pockets and enrich a small circle of his most loyal associates. Madigan's legal team, meanwhile, have stressed his age and lifetime of public service, saying that he is a good man whose name was dragged through the mud and will forever be branded as a felon. After a trial that stretched nearly four months, Madigan was convicted by a jury Feb. 12 on bribery conspiracy and other corruption charges The jury found him guilty on 10 of 23 counts, including one count of conspiracy related to a multipronged scheme to accept and solicit bribes from utility giant Commonwealth Edison. Jurors also convicted him on two counts of bribery and one Travel Act violation related to payments funneled to Madigan associates for do-nothing ComEd subcontracts. Madigan also was convicted on six out of seven counts — including wire fraud and Travel Act violations — regarding a plan to get ex-Ald. Daniel Solis, a key FBI mole who testified at length in the trial, appointed to a state board. But after 11 days of deliberation, the jury's final verdict was mixed, deadlocking on several counts — including the marquee racketeering conspiracy charge — and acquitting Madigan on numerous others. Jurors also deadlocked on all six counts related to Madigan's co-defendant, Michael McClain. The verdict capped one of the most significant political corruption investigations in Chicago's sordid history. It also cemented an extraordinary personal fall for Madigan, the longest-serving state legislative leader in the nation's history, who for decades held an iron-tight grip on the House as well as the state Democratic Party. It was a case many thought would never be made. Madigan, a savvy lawyer and old-school practitioner of Democratic machine politics, famously eschewed cell phones and email, and stayed largely above the fray while dozens of his colleagues were hauled off to prison over the years. Ultimately, it took Solis's extraordinary cooperation, including wearing a hidden wire in meetings with Madigan, along with an FBI wiretap on Madigan's longtime confidant, Michael McClain, to break the case open, leading to a series of indictments and pay-to-play allegations against two major utilities, Commonwealth Edison and AT&T Illinois, and more than a dozen other individuals. Madigan held the speakership for all but two years from 1983 until 2021. Along with ruling the House, Madigan chaired the Illinois Democratic Party from 1998 until 2021, resigning both his House seat and the party post after he lost the speakership. Madigan's hold on the House Democratic caucus started loosening in the wake of a series of explosive sexual harassment cases involving misbehaving aides in 2018, including longtime chief of staff Tim Mapes. But the momentum picked up speed in July 2020 when the U.S. attorney's office reached a deferred prosecution agreement with ComEd, which acknowledged trying to influence Madigan by showering his pals and associates with do-nothing contracts, legal work and a seat on the ComEd board of directors. While ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine, the biggest political marker in the agreement was that Madigan was referenced clearly when the court document called the speaker of the House 'Public Official A.' McClain and three others were indicted in the separate ComEd Four case four months later. Sentencings in that case, which have been delayed for more than a year due to fallout from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the federal bribery statute, are now expected to unfold in July and August. ______
Chicago Tribune
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan arrives at federal court for sentencing in corruption case
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan arrived Friday at the federal courthouse in downtown Chicago for his historic sentencing in a long-running corruption case that shook the state's political world to the core. Madigan, 83, who for years was widely hailed as the most powerful politician in the state, gave a slight smile as he strode past a horde of television news cameras with his lawyers and family members without comment. Carrying a briefcase and umbrella, he then headed to the 12th floor courtroom of U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey, who is scheduled to begin the hearing at 1 p.m. The hearing is expected to last two hours or more. With seating limited in Blakey's courtroom, an overflow courtroom has been set up on the courthouse's 17th floor. Before hearing arguments, Blakey must first determine the sentencing guidelines in the case, though it's no longer mandatory for him to follow them. It's unclear whether Madigan's team intends to call live witnesses on his behalf, but before the judge imposes the sentence, the famously taciturn former speaker will be given a chance to make a statement of his own. It's the most highly anticipated sentencing in a Chicago public corruption case since former Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich more than a decade ago, and U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey has a wide range of options at his disposal. The difference between the recommendations of the two sides is stark. Prosecutors have asked for 12 ½ years in prison, while the ex-speaker's team requested five years of probation, with the first year on home confinement. One big question is whether the letters Blakey received on Madigan's behalf will help persuade him to go easy on the longest-serving speaker in American history. Under the federal rules, the judge must also balance the seriousness of the crime and the need for deterrence, both for Madigan and others who might be tempted to commit similar acts, with the ex-speaker's background, personal traits, family history and other good works. In justifying a lengthy prison sentence, prosecutors have argued Madigan used his public office to increase his power, line his own pockets and enrich a small circle of his most loyal associates. Madigan's legal team, meanwhile, have stressed his age and lifetime of public service, saying that he is a good man whose name was dragged through the mud and will forever be branded as a felon. After a trial that stretched nearly four months, Madigan was convicted by a jury Feb. 12 on bribery conspiracy and other corruption charges The jury found him guilty on 10 of 23 counts, including one count of conspiracy related to a multipronged scheme to accept and solicit bribes from utility giant Commonwealth Edison. Jurors also convicted him on two counts of bribery and one Travel Act violation related to payments funneled to Madigan associates for do-nothing ComEd subcontracts. Madigan also was convicted on six out of seven counts — including wire fraud and Travel Act violations — regarding a plan to get ex-Ald. Daniel Solis, a key FBI mole who testified at length in the trial, appointed to a state board. But after 11 days of deliberation, the jury's final verdict was mixed, deadlocking on several counts — including the marquee racketeering conspiracy charge — and acquitting Madigan on numerous others. Jurors also deadlocked on all six counts related to Madigan's co-defendant, Michael McClain. The verdict capped one of the most significant political corruption investigations in Chicago's sordid history. It also cemented an extraordinary personal fall for Madigan, the longest-serving state legislative leader in the nation's history, who for decades held an iron-tight grip on the House as well as the state Democratic Party. It was a case many thought would never be made. Madigan, a savvy lawyer and old-school practitioner of Democratic machine politics, famously eschewed cell phones and email, and stayed largely above the fray while dozens of his colleagues were hauled off to prison over the years. Ultimately, it took Solis's extraordinary cooperation, including wearing a hidden wire in meetings with Madigan, along with an FBI wiretap on Madigan's longtime confidant, Michael McClain, to break the case open, leading to a series of indictments and pay-to-play allegations against two major utilities, Commonwealth Edison and AT&T Illinois, and more than a dozen other individuals. Madigan held the speakership for all but two years from 1983 until 2021. Along with ruling the House, Madigan chaired the Illinois Democratic Party from 1998 until 2021, resigning both his House seat and the party post after he lost the speakership. Madigan's hold on the House Democratic caucus started loosening in the wake of a series of explosive sexual harassment cases involving misbehaving aides in 2018, including longtime chief of staff Tim Mapes. But the momentum picked up speed in July 2020 when the U.S. attorney's office reached a deferred prosecution agreement with ComEd, which acknowledged trying to influence Madigan by showering his pals and associates with do-nothing contracts, legal work and a seat on the ComEd board of directors. While ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine, the biggest political marker in the agreement was that Madigan was referenced clearly when the court document called the speaker of the House 'Public Official A.' McClain and three others were indicted in the separate ComEd Four case four months later. Sentencings in that case, which have been delayed for more than a year due to fallout from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the federal bribery statute, are now expected to unfold in July and August.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michael Madigan, ComEd and corruption: How the investigation into the ex-Illinois Speaker unfolded
A federal jury convicted Michael Madigan on Feb. 12, 2025, of multiple federal charges including bribery conspiracy — but jurors deadlocked on other charges in the wide-ranging indictment, including the marquee racketeering conspiracy count. Madigan was first outed as 'Public Official A' in court records in a deferred prosecution agreement filed in July 2020 where the public utility Commonwealth Edison acknowledged it had showered the speaker with various rewards in exchange for his assistance with its legislative agenda in Springfield. Among the perks were do-nothing jobs for Madigan's top political cronies, college internships for students in his 13th Ward power base, legal business for political allies and the appointment of his choice for the state-regulated utility's board of directors, according to the allegations. The Dishonor Roll: Meet the public officials who helped build Illinois' culture of corruption He resigned from the Illinois house and also resigned as chairman of the state Democratic Party in February 2021, after spending 36 years as House speaker and a half-century in the Illinois House. The embattled 79-year-old lawmaker released a lengthy statement on Feb. 18, 2021. Madigan was indicted twice in 2022 on charges tied to the ComEd conspiracy as well as similar allegations involving AT&T. He's also charged with trying to pressure developers in Chinatown to steer business to his private law firm. He pleaded not guilty. What's publicly known about federal efforts related to the now former speaker's political operation stretches back to at least May 2019. Subpoenas or raids have touched lobbyists, legislators, private companies and members of Madigan's political operation. Here's what to know. Born: April 19, 1942, in Chicago Early life: Attended St. Adrian's Elementary School 1960:St. Ignatius College Prep 1964:Notre Dame, B.A., Economics 1967: Loyola University Law School After law school: Held patronage jobs as a hearing officer for the Illinois Commerce Commission and as a public utilities consultant for the city, according to a 1988 Tribune story. 1969: Elected as a delegate to the Illinois constitutional convention. Also elected a Democratic committeeman. 1970:Elected to the Illinois House for his district on the city's Southwest Side. 1977: Entered House Democratic leadership. 1983: Elected speaker of the House, holding the post continuously through January except for two years in the mid-1990s when Republicans gained control of the chamber. He was ousted from the position in January 2021. 1998:Elected chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party. He stepped down in February 2021. Family: Married to Shirley Madigan, has three daughters, one son and four grandchildren. His daughter Lisa Madigan was Illinois attorney general from 2003 to 2019. Work:An attorney, Madigan is a partner at Madigan & Getzendanner, a firm that works in Chicago's lucrative field of commercial property tax appeals. Sources: Illinois General Assembly, Northern Illinois University Libraries, Notre Dame, Loyola University, Chicago Tribune archives The feds raid the Far South Side home of former 13th Ward political operative Kevin Quinn — the brother of Ald. Marty Quinn — who was ousted by Madigan amid a sexual harassment scandal in 2018. Quinn received checks from current and former ComEd lobbyists. The FBI raids the downstate home of Mike McClain, a longtime ComEd lobbyist who is widely known as one of Madigan's closest confidants. The Tribune exclusively reported in November that the FBI had tapped McClain's cellphone. The FBI raids the Southwest Side residence of former Ald. Michael Zalewski, who at the time was working with Madigan to get lobbying work from ComEd. Feds raid the City Club of Chicago offices in the Wrigley building seeking records pertaining to club President Jay Doherty, a longtime ComEd lobbyist. ComEd reveals in a regulatory filing that it was subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating the utility's lobbying practices. Records obtained by the Tribune reveal that checks went to Kevin Quinn after he was dismissed from Madigan's political operation in early 2018. Federal agents raid the Springfield and Cicero offices and the Southwest Side home of the longtime Democratic state senator as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. ComEd reveals in another regulatory filing it received a second federal grand jury subpoena related to its lobbying practices, this time specifically requesting any communications with Sandoval and other unnamed individuals and entities. Anne Pramaggiore, CEO of ComEd parent company Exelon Utilities, abruptly steps down after it was revealed the utility's lobbying practices were under criminal investigation. 'I'm not a target of anything,' Madigan tells reporters at the Illinois Capitol. In a statement, he called for a review and strengthening of ethics and lobbying laws. Federal authorities recorded Madigan confidant McClain's phone calls as part of the investigation into ComEd's lobbying practices, sources tell the Chicago Tribune. One of the sources said the recordings were made as a result of an FBI wiretap on McClain's cellphone. Federal authorities have asked questions about Madigan and his political operation as part of an ongoing investigation about connections between Commonwealth Edison lobbyists and Madigan, lobbyists giving contracts to people tied to the speaker, and city, state and suburban government jobs held by his associates, four people who have been interviewed tell the Tribune. A pair of federal grand jury subpoenas seeking records from southwest suburban Merrionette Park and Bridgeview name Madigan, his former chief of staff Timothy Mapes, McClain, Marty Quinn and Kevin Quinn. The documents also called for copies of state and federal tax records related to Raymond Nice, a longtime precinct captain in Madigan's vaunted 13th Ward operation. Madigan's main campaign fund paid nearly $462,000 in legal fees in the first three months of 2020 to a law firm that employs former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, campaign finance records show. In the final quarter of 2019, Madigan's campaign fund paid more than $445,000 for legal fees to different firms, which a Madigan spokeswoman at the time said was to cover the cost of a $275,000 settlement with a former campaign worker, as well as ongoing civil cases and routine staff training. ComEd is paying a $200 million criminal fine as part of a federal investigation into a 'yearslong bribery scheme' involving jobs, contracts and payments to Madigan allies, the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago announces. Additionally, prosecutors asked Madigan's office for 'any and all documents and communications' concerning AT&T, including contracts and correspondence related to the hiring of anyone to provide consulting or lobbying services to the public utility, according to a subpoena the Tribune obtained through an open records request. The Tribune reports that AT&T was subpoenaed earlier that year by federal prosecutors in the operation encircling Madigan's political operation. A federal subpoena to Madigan's office shows investigators were interested in a wide range of information, including dealings with Walgreens and Rush University Medical Center, records related to Madigan's political organization and private property tax appeals law firm, as well as former state lawmakers and current or former Chicago aldermen. McClain is charged with bribery conspiracy and bribery in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury. Also charged are former ComEd CEO Pramaggiore; lobbyist and former ComEd executive John Hooker, of Chicago; and Doherty, a consultant and former head of the City Club of Chicago. The embattled Illinois House Speaker releases a statement saying that if anyone at ComEd had tried to bribe him, 'it was never made known to me.' McClain, Pramaggiore, Hooker and Doherty plead not guilty to charges they orchestrated an elaborate bribery scheme with Commonwealth Edison to funnel money and do-nothing jobs to Madigan loyalists in exchange for the speaker's help with state legislation. Emanuel 'Chris' Welch is elected the state's first Black speaker of the House after Democrats reject Madigan's bid to maintain the single-handed power he wielded over the state for nearly four decades. Madigan announces his resignation from the Illinois House after representing a Southwest Side district for a half-century, the majority of that time as the powerful speaker, but remains chairman of the state Democratic Party. Edward Guerra Kodatt, 26, a bilingual outreach and budget assistant in the constituent services office run by Madigan and 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn, is installed in the Illinois House seat that was vacated by Madigan. Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, previously party vice chair, takes over on an interim basis. Despite the ill-fated Kodatt pick, Madigan gets another shot at appointing a replacement. The former speaker remains the 13th Ward Democratic committeeman and holds 56% of the weighted vote cast in the 22nd House District. Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar becomes the second replacement in four days for the Illinois House seat formerly held by Madigan. The charges allege Acevedo attempted to evade paying taxes he owed, including by depositing cash payments into his bank account to conceal the source of income. He was also charged with four misdemeanor counts of failing to file a tax return from 2015 to 2018. Acevedo faces up to five years in prison on the most serious counts. The former longtime chief of staff to Madigan is indicted on charges of lying to a federal grand jury investigating allegations that Commonwealth Edison paid bribes in exchange for Madigan's assistance pushing though legislation in Springfield. He pleads not guilty two days later. An outgrowth of a case that arose from the ComEd bribes-for-favors scandal, Collins is charged with falsely claiming $31,830 in travel expenses on her tax returns. Collins, who previously lobbied for ComEd, was hit with the new charge of filing a false tax return for the calendar year 2018 in a superseding indictment filed May 26, 2021 that added the allegations to a broader tax case. She pleads not guilty. The Tribune learns among their discussions was a plan to turn a state-owned parcel of land in Chinatown into a commercial development. Though the land deal never was consummated, it's been a source of continued interest for federal investigators, who last year subpoenaed Madigan's office for records and communications he'd had with key players. At least one of them recently appeared before the grand jury investigating Madigan's political operation, sources tell the Tribune. Text messages, obtained by the Tribune through an open records request, show Dougherty repeatedly tried to downplay his role in the ComEd probe to the mayor in 2020 even after federal agents raided the City Club's offices in the Wrigley Building in the spring of 2019. Acevedo, enters his plea to one count of tax evasion during a hearing via videoconference before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly. The plea scuttles a jury trial that had been set for Jan. 10, 2022. The most remarkable thing about the Commonwealth Edison bribery probe in 2021 might be what didn't happen. The indictment is returned by a federal grand jury after a more than two-year investigation, according to federal prosecutors. Among the alleged schemes outlined in the indictment was a plan by utility giant Commonwealth Edison to pay thousands of dollars to lobbyists favored by Madigan in order to win his influence over legislation the company wanted passed in Springfield. Investigation of AT&T contracts in probe orbiting Michael Madigan centers on funds to lobbyists and former state rep, sources say A week after he was charged in a bombshell corruption indictment, Madigan, is arraigned in a telephone hearing in U.S. District Court on allegations he ran his elected office and political operation as a criminal enterprise that provided personal financial rewards for him and his associates. Acevedo's attorneys had asked for a term of probation, but U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly says his background as a former elected official and a Chicago police officer meant that people were paying attention, and a sentence of probation would seem like 'this person got a pass.' The revelation undermines the storyline Madigan put out when the Tribune first revealed his longtime confidant McClain had lined up friendly utility lobbyists to pay Kevin Quinn thousands of dollars despite his abrupt departure. Mapes, the former chief of staff to Madigan, walks into the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse for a status hearing on charges he lied to a federal grand jury investigating the alleged ComEd scheme. He was the first of six people who have been charged as part of the ComEd bribery scandal to set foot in a federal courtroom. AT&T agrees to pay a $23 million fine as part of a federal criminal investigation into the company's illegal efforts to influence Madigan. Federal prosecutors also unseal a superseding indictment against Madigan and his longtime confidant McClain, adding allegations about the AT&T Illinois scheme. The Tribune learns that Cullen, a lobbyist who played political point man for years on Madigan's government staff, has testified before the ongoing federal grand jury looking into broad aspects of Madigan's political world, which prosecutors allege included a criminal enterprise aimed at providing personal financial rewards for Madigan and his associates. The date for the six- to seven-week trial is set during a 10-minute telephone status hearing between U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey and attorneys in the case. Neither Madigan nor his co-defendant McClain were required to be on the call. After about seven hours of questioning potential jurors in the hot-button case, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber wrapped for the day about 5 p.m., with a pool of just over 60 members of the panel told to come back to court for another round. 'ComEd Four' bribery trial: What you need to know Madigan's photo became a focal point as the high-profile 'ComEd Four' trial started in earnest at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, where federal prosecutors said in opening statements that the long-serving Democratic boss benefited personally and politically from a scheme by the utility giant to funnel payments and jobs to Madigan's associates. In return, prosecutors, say, the powerful speaker used his position to push or block legislation worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the utility. Found guilty of bribery conspiracy are: Former ComEd contract lobbyist Michael McClain, a longtime Madigan confidant; former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore; ex-ComEd executive John Hooker, and Jay Doherty, who worked as a lobbyist for ComEd for 30 years and served as president of the City Club of Chicago civic forum. In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge John Kness said he struggled at a fundamental level to understand how Mapes found himself in this position. 'This is a very sad case to me because I don't understand why you did what you did,' Kness said. 'You were immunized in the grand jury and all you had to do was go in there and tell the truth.' Kness likened it to the mafia concept of 'omerta,' the concept 'that you don't rat on your friends.' A federal jury convicted Madigan of multiple federal charges including bribery conspiracy — but jurors deadlocked on other charges in the wide-ranging indictment, including the marquee racketeering conspiracy count. The panel also deadlocked on all six counts against Madigan co-defendant Michael McClain. Feds want lengthy 12 1/2-year prison sentence for ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan, while defense asks for probation Here's who wrote a letter of support for former House Speaker Michael Madigan Sources: Court documents, news reports and Chicago Tribune reporting
Chicago Tribune
11-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Michael Madigan, ComEd and corruption: How the investigation into the ex-Illinois Speaker unfolded
A federal jury convicted Michael Madigan on Feb. 12, 2025, of multiple federal charges including bribery conspiracy — but jurors deadlocked on other charges in the wide-ranging indictment, including the marquee racketeering conspiracy count. Madigan was first outed as 'Public Official A' in court records in a deferred prosecution agreement filed in July 2020 where the public utility Commonwealth Edison acknowledged it had showered the speaker with various rewards in exchange for his assistance with its legislative agenda in Springfield. Among the perks were do-nothing jobs for Madigan's top political cronies, college internships for students in his 13th Ward power base, legal business for political allies and the appointment of his choice for the state-regulated utility's board of directors, according to the allegations. The Dishonor Roll: Meet the public officials who helped build Illinois' culture of corruptionHe resigned from the Illinois house and also resigned as chairman of the state Democratic Party in February 2021, after spending 36 years as House speaker and a half-century in the Illinois House. The embattled 79-year-old lawmaker released a lengthy statement on Feb. 18, 2021. Madigan was indicted twice in 2022 on charges tied to the ComEd conspiracy as well as similar allegations involving AT&T. He's also charged with trying to pressure developers in Chinatown to steer business to his private law firm. He pleaded not guilty. What's publicly known about federal efforts related to the now former speaker's political operation stretches back to at least May 2019. Subpoenas or raids have touched lobbyists, legislators, private companies and members of Madigan's political operation. Here's what to know. Born: April 19, 1942, in Chicago Early life: Attended St. Adrian's Elementary School 1960: St. Ignatius College Prep 1964: Notre Dame, B.A., Economics 1967: Loyola University Law School After law school: Held patronage jobs as a hearing officer for the Illinois Commerce Commission and as a public utilities consultant for the city, according to a 1988 Tribune story. 1969: Elected as a delegate to the Illinois constitutional convention. Also elected a Democratic committeeman. 1970: Elected to the Illinois House for his district on the city's Southwest Side. 1977: Entered House Democratic leadership. 1983: Elected speaker of the House, holding the post continuously through January except for two years in the mid-1990s when Republicans gained control of the chamber. He was ousted from the position in January 2021. 1998: Elected chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party. He stepped down in February 2021. Family: Married to Shirley Madigan, has three daughters, one son and four grandchildren. His daughter Lisa Madigan was Illinois attorney general from 2003 to 2019. Work: An attorney, Madigan is a partner at Madigan & Getzendanner, a firm that works in Chicago's lucrative field of commercial property tax appeals. Sources: Illinois General Assembly, Northern Illinois University Libraries, Notre Dame, Loyola University, Chicago Tribune archives The feds raid the Far South Side home of former 13th Ward political operative Kevin Quinn — the brother of Ald. Marty Quinn — who was ousted by Madigan amid a sexual harassment scandal in 2018. Quinn received checks from current and former ComEd lobbyists. The FBI raids the downstate home of Mike McClain, a longtime ComEd lobbyist who is widely known as one of Madigan's closest confidants. The Tribune exclusively reported in November that the FBI had tapped McClain's cellphone. The FBI raids the Southwest Side residence of former Ald. Michael Zalewski, who at the time was working with Madigan to get lobbying work from ComEd. Feds raid the City Club of Chicago offices in the Wrigley building seeking records pertaining to club President Jay Doherty, a longtime ComEd lobbyist. ComEd reveals in a regulatory filing that it was subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating the utility's lobbying practices. Records obtained by the Tribune reveal that checks went to Kevin Quinn after he was dismissed from Madigan's political operation in early 2018. Federal agents raid the Springfield and Cicero offices and the Southwest Side home of the longtime Democratic state senator as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. ComEd reveals in another regulatory filing it received a second federal grand jury subpoena related to its lobbying practices, this time specifically requesting any communications with Sandoval and other unnamed individuals and entities. Anne Pramaggiore, CEO of ComEd parent company Exelon Utilities, abruptly steps down after it was revealed the utility's lobbying practices were under criminal investigation. 'I'm not a target of anything,' Madigan tells reporters at the Illinois Capitol. In a statement, he called for a review and strengthening of ethics and lobbying laws. Federal authorities recorded Madigan confidant McClain's phone calls as part of the investigation into ComEd's lobbying practices, sources tell the Chicago Tribune. One of the sources said the recordings were made as a result of an FBI wiretap on McClain's cellphone. Federal authorities have asked questions about Madigan and his political operation as part of an ongoing investigation about connections between Commonwealth Edison lobbyists and Madigan, lobbyists giving contracts to people tied to the speaker, and city, state and suburban government jobs held by his associates, four people who have been interviewed tell the Tribune. A pair of federal grand jury subpoenas seeking records from southwest suburban Merrionette Park and Bridgeview name Madigan, his former chief of staff Timothy Mapes, McClain, Marty Quinn and Kevin Quinn. The documents also called for copies of state and federal tax records related to Raymond Nice, a longtime precinct captain in Madigan's vaunted 13th Ward operation. Madigan's main campaign fund paid nearly $462,000 in legal fees in the first three months of 2020 to a law firm that employs former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, campaign finance records show. In the final quarter of 2019, Madigan's campaign fund paid more than $445,000 for legal fees to different firms, which a Madigan spokeswoman at the time said was to cover the cost of a $275,000 settlement with a former campaign worker, as well as ongoing civil cases and routine staff training. ComEd is paying a $200 million criminal fine as part of a federal investigation into a 'yearslong bribery scheme' involving jobs, contracts and payments to Madigan allies, the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago announces. Additionally, prosecutors asked Madigan's office for 'any and all documents and communications' concerning AT&T, including contracts and correspondence related to the hiring of anyone to provide consulting or lobbying services to the public utility, according to a subpoena the Tribune obtained through an open records request. The Tribune reports that AT&T was subpoenaed earlier that year by federal prosecutors in the operation encircling Madigan's political operation. A federal subpoena to Madigan's office shows investigators were interested in a wide range of information, including dealings with Walgreens and Rush University Medical Center, records related to Madigan's political organization and private property tax appeals law firm, as well as former state lawmakers and current or former Chicago aldermen. McClain is charged with bribery conspiracy and bribery in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury. Also charged are former ComEd CEO Pramaggiore; lobbyist and former ComEd executive John Hooker, of Chicago; and Doherty, a consultant and former head of the City Club of Chicago. The embattled Illinois House Speaker releases a statement saying that if anyone at ComEd had tried to bribe him, 'it was never made known to me.' McClain, Pramaggiore, Hooker and Doherty plead not guilty to charges they orchestrated an elaborate bribery scheme with Commonwealth Edison to funnel money and do-nothing jobs to Madigan loyalists in exchange for the speaker's help with state legislation. Emanuel 'Chris' Welch is elected the state's first Black speaker of the House after Democrats reject Madigan's bid to maintain the single-handed power he wielded over the state for nearly four decades. Madigan announces his resignation from the Illinois House after representing a Southwest Side district for a half-century, the majority of that time as the powerful speaker, but remains chairman of the state Democratic Party. Edward Guerra Kodatt, 26, a bilingual outreach and budget assistant in the constituent services office run by Madigan and 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn, is installed in the Illinois House seat that was vacated by Madigan. Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, previously party vice chair, takes over on an interim basis. Despite the ill-fated Kodatt pick, Madigan gets another shot at appointing a replacement. The former speaker remains the 13th Ward Democratic committeeman and holds 56% of the weighted vote cast in the 22nd House District. Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar becomes the second replacement in four days for the Illinois House seat formerly held by Madigan. The charges allege Acevedo attempted to evade paying taxes he owed, including by depositing cash payments into his bank account to conceal the source of income. He was also charged with four misdemeanor counts of failing to file a tax return from 2015 to 2018. Acevedo faces up to five years in prison on the most serious counts. The former longtime chief of staff to Madigan is indicted on charges of lying to a federal grand jury investigating allegations that Commonwealth Edison paid bribes in exchange for Madigan's assistance pushing though legislation in Springfield. He pleads not guilty two days later. An outgrowth of a case that arose from the ComEd bribes-for-favors scandal, Collins is charged with falsely claiming $31,830 in travel expenses on her tax returns. Collins, who previously lobbied for ComEd, was hit with the new charge of filing a false tax return for the calendar year 2018 in a superseding indictment filed May 26, 2021 that added the allegations to a broader tax case. She pleads not guilty. The Tribune learns among their discussions was a plan to turn a state-owned parcel of land in Chinatown into a commercial development. Though the land deal never was consummated, it's been a source of continued interest for federal investigators, who last year subpoenaed Madigan's office for records and communications he'd had with key players. At least one of them recently appeared before the grand jury investigating Madigan's political operation, sources tell the Tribune. Text messages, obtained by the Tribune through an open records request, show Dougherty repeatedly tried to downplay his role in the ComEd probe to the mayor in 2020 even after federal agents raided the City Club's offices in the Wrigley Building in the spring of 2019. Acevedo, enters his plea to one count of tax evasion during a hearing via videoconference before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly. The plea scuttles a jury trial that had been set for Jan. 10, 2022. The most remarkable thing about the Commonwealth Edison bribery probe in 2021 might be what didn't happen. The indictment is returned by a federal grand jury after a more than two-year investigation, according to federal prosecutors. Among the alleged schemes outlined in the indictment was a plan by utility giant Commonwealth Edison to pay thousands of dollars to lobbyists favored by Madigan in order to win his influence over legislation the company wanted passed in Springfield. A week after he was charged in a bombshell corruption indictment, Madigan, is arraigned in a telephone hearing in U.S. District Court on allegations he ran his elected office and political operation as a criminal enterprise that provided personal financial rewards for him and his associates. Acevedo's attorneys had asked for a term of probation, but U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly says his background as a former elected official and a Chicago police officer meant that people were paying attention, and a sentence of probation would seem like 'this person got a pass.' The revelation undermines the storyline Madigan put out when the Tribune first revealed his longtime confidant McClain had lined up friendly utility lobbyists to pay Kevin Quinn thousands of dollars despite his abrupt departure. Mapes, the former chief of staff to Madigan, walks into the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse for a status hearing on charges he lied to a federal grand jury investigating the alleged ComEd scheme. He was the first of six people who have been charged as part of the ComEd bribery scandal to set foot in a federal courtroom. AT&T agrees to pay a $23 million fine as part of a federal criminal investigation into the company's illegal efforts to influence Madigan. Federal prosecutors also unseal a superseding indictment against Madigan and his longtime confidant McClain, adding allegations about the AT&T Illinois scheme. The Tribune learns that Cullen, a lobbyist who played political point man for years on Madigan's government staff, has testified before the ongoing federal grand jury looking into broad aspects of Madigan's political world, which prosecutors allege included a criminal enterprise aimed at providing personal financial rewards for Madigan and his associates. The date for the six- to seven-week trial is set during a 10-minute telephone status hearing between U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey and attorneys in the case. Neither Madigan nor his co-defendant McClain were required to be on the call. After about seven hours of questioning potential jurors in the hot-button case, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber wrapped for the day about 5 p.m., with a pool of just over 60 members of the panel told to come back to court for another round. Madigan's photo became a focal point as the high-profile 'ComEd Four' trial started in earnest at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, where federal prosecutors said in opening statements that the long-serving Democratic boss benefited personally and politically from a scheme by the utility giant to funnel payments and jobs to Madigan's associates. In return, prosecutors, say, the powerful speaker used his position to push or block legislation worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the utility. Found guilty of bribery conspiracy are: Former ComEd contract lobbyist Michael McClain, a longtime Madigan confidant; former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore; ex-ComEd executive John Hooker, and Jay Doherty, who worked as a lobbyist for ComEd for 30 years and served as president of the City Club of Chicago civic forum. In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge John Kness said he struggled at a fundamental level to understand how Mapes found himself in this position. 'This is a very sad case to me because I don't understand why you did what you did,' Kness said. 'You were immunized in the grand jury and all you had to do was go in there and tell the truth.' Kness likened it to the mafia concept of 'omerta,' the concept 'that you don't rat on your friends.' A federal jury convicted Madigan of multiple federal charges including bribery conspiracy — but jurors deadlocked on other charges in the wide-ranging indictment, including the marquee racketeering conspiracy count. The panel also deadlocked on all six counts against Madigan co-defendant Michael McClain. Sources: Court documents, news reports and Chicago Tribune reporting
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Feds want lengthy 12 1/2-year prison sentence for ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan
CHICAGO — Calling former House Speaker Michael Madigan 'steeped in corruption,' federal prosecutors on Friday asked for a whopping 12 1/2-year prison term and $1.5 million fine for Madigan's conviction nearly four months ago on bribery and other conspiracy charges. 'The crimes charged and proven at trial demonstrate that Madigan engaged in corrupt activity at the highest level of state government for nearly a decade,' prosecutors wrote in their 72-page memo. 'Time after time, Madigan exploited his immense power for his own personal benefit by trading his public office for private gain for himself and his associates, all the while carefully and deliberately concealing his conduct from detection.' Prosecutors also want U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey to punish Madigan for what they say were a series of lies he told on the witness stand when he testified in his own defense in January. 'Madigan has expressed no remorse for his crimes, nor has he acknowledged the damage wrought by his conduct,' the filing stated. 'Indeed, Madigan went so far as to commit perjury at trial in an effort to avoid accountability, and he persists in framing his actions as nothing more than helping people.' If prosecutors were successful, Madigan would be around 94 years old when eligible for release given federal convicts must serve 85% of their incarceration time. Madigan's lawyers, meanwhile, are set to file their own sentencing recommendations later Friday. His sentencing is set for June 13. Madigan, 83, once the most powerful politician in the state, was convicted by a jury Feb. 12 on bribery conspiracy and other corruption charges alleging he used his public office to increase his power, line his own pockets and enrich a small circle of his most loyal associates. The jury found him guilty on 10 of 23 counts, including one count of conspiracy related to a multipronged scheme to accept and solicit bribes from utility giant Commonwealth Edison. Jurors also convicted him on two counts of bribery and one Travel Act violation related to payments funneled to Madigan associates for do-nothing ComEd subcontracts. Madigan also was convicted on six out of seven counts — including wire fraud and Travel Act violations — regarding a plan to get ex-Ald. Daniel Solis, a key FBI mole who testified at length in the trial, appointed to a state board. But after 11 days of deliberation, the jury's final verdict was mixed, deadlocking on several counts — including the marquee racketeering conspiracy charge — and acquitting Madigan on numerous others. Jurors also deadlocked on all six counts related to Madigan's co-defendant, Michael McClain. The verdict came after a four-month trial and capped one of the most significant political corruption investigations in Chicago's sordid history. It also cemented an extraordinary personal fall for Madigan, the longest-serving state legislative leader in the nation's history who for decades held an iron-tight grip on the House as well as the state Democratic Party. ____
