The jury found the former Speaker of the Illinois House guilty on ten of 23 counts of bribery, conspiracy, and wire fraud. The jury, though, was unable to convict the former party chief on more than a dozen other charges, according to Chicago’s WBBM
Madigan was acquitted of seven of the remaining charges, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on six more counts.
The jury’s decisions came after eleven days of deliberation.
While reaching decisions on Madigan, the jury was unable to convict Madigan’s longtime confidant, Michael McClain, on any of the charges in the case. Despite the outcome this week, McClain has not escaped consequences. He was convicted of bribery last year alongside three others.
The jury sat through hours of video and phone calls between Madigan and former Chicago Alderman Danny Solis, who had turned FBI informant. In the video and audio evidence, Madigan seemed to implicate himself in bribe talking and influence peddling.
Prosecutors charged that Madigan and Solis had conspired for years to use their positions of power for personal gain.
The former speaker, who held unchallenged power in the state for more than three decades, was indicted back in 2022 on federal racketeering charges, alleging that he participated in a string of bribery and influence peddling schemes.
Madigan represented the southwest side of Chicago for half a century and held a grip on power since the 1990s, using that influence to stymie governors of both parties, and he essentially dictated policies for the entire state.
He controlled the access to campaign funds and endorsements for the state’s Democrat Party and acted like a mafia boss with an absolute control of political power. Indeed, even Governors who defied him on policy were rarely able to succeed beyond his control. Meanwhile, his allies and confidants reaped the rewards, both politically and personally.
For years, Madigan was suspected of passing laws or promoting actions that would benefit his private law practice. He always seemed to escape accountability until he was finally indicted in 2022.
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