Madigan Found Guilty of Bribery, Wire Fraud in Mixed Verdict

After nearly 65 hours of deliberation, a jury delivered partial and mixed verdict Wednesday in the trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, the Sun-Times reports.

Out of 23 counts facing Madigan, he was found guilty on several counts of bribery and wire fraud. The jury found Madigan not guilty or delivered no verdict on racketeering conspiracy and other counts. No verdict was delivered against co-defendant and longtime Madigan confidant Mike McClain.

Federal prosecutors argued Madigan was behind several schemes, including arranging sham jobs at ComEd for his allies in exchange for favorable legislation, soliciting bribes from AT&T, and using his position to steer business to his private property tax firm.

The Southwest Sider held sway over Illinois politics for decades, rising from ward committeeperson to state representative to house speaker. He was the poster child for machine politics, known for rewarding his allies and punishing his enemies.

But Madigan’s attorneys argued that none of Madigan’s actions in office amounted to solicitation or bribery, painting a picture of a hardworking lawmaker. Madigan also testified during the trial.

On Wednesday morning, the jury told the judge they had reached a unanimous decision on 17 counts but were deadlocked on another 12, creating the partial verdict.

The counts Madigan has been convicted of relate to his dealings with ComEd and efforts to secure a state board seat for former Chicago alderperson-turned-federal mole Danny Solis. The not guilty and deadlocked counts related to AT&T and certain property parcels in Chicago.

McClain was previously convicted in 2023 along with three other former ComEd higher-ups.

It’s unclear what kind of prison time the 82-year-old Madigan could face. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

While the trial lasted a whopping four months, Madigan’s troubles go all the way back to FBI raids in 2019 and official charges in 2022. His conviction is the latest and biggest in a string of recent corruption trials in Chicago, including former Ald. Ed Burke.