(The Center Square) – Years of questions about how longtime former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan ran his political operation came to a head this year when he was indicted on 23 counts of corruption-related charges.
In the summer of 2020, it was revealed that Madigan, the former longest-serving state house speaker in the U.S., was “Public Official A” in a deferred prosecution agreement with utility ComEd. Federal prosecutors said ComEd worked with the speaker for nearly a decade to curry favor for legislation that benefits the utility. The utility agreed to pay a $200 million penalty for its role.
In March of this year, nearly two years after the scheme was unveiled, U.S. Attorney John Lausch announced Madigan’s indictment.
“The indictment alleges a long term, multifaceted scheme to use public positions for unlawful gain, including no show or low show jobs for Madigan’s political workers and private gain for Madigan himself,” Lausch said.
Federal prosecutors called the scheme “Madigan Enterprise.”
After the initial 22 counts in the ComEd case were handed down in March, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said corruption can’t be tolerated.
“Whoever it is and whatever level of office in the state of Illinois, if you’re committing acts of corruption, you’ve got to go,” Pritzker said then.
Madigan later was charged with an additional count of bribery in an alleged scheme with the former president of AT&T Illinois. He’s pleaded not guilty. The next status hearing in the case is Jan. 9.
Corruption expert David Parker said bad actors better take note.
“I think it’s a signal saying this is not kind of a one-off type of situation, that the system does work and can work,” Parker told The Center Square.
Separately in September, state Sen. Emil Jones III, D-Chicago, was charged with bribery. He pleaded not guilty and later won reelection in an uncontested race.
