Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan was indicted on Wednesday on a nearly $3 million case for racketeering, bribery, wire fraud, and extortion charges.
The individual wielded extraordinary power over Democratic politics in the state for several decades. Prosecutors said that the suspect, who also chaired the Illinois Democratic Party, took advantage of his position in the State House to solicit bribes from ComEd, an electrical utility company.
Indictment on Racketeering Charges
Madigan allegedly conducted legislative favors for the company in exchange for jobs and money for his political allies. In a statement, the top federal prosecutor in northern Illinois, John Lausch, said that the indictment against the former speaker alleges a long-term, multifaceted scheme to use public positions for unlawful private gain.
The prosecutor's office also accused Madigan of "leading for nearly a decade a criminal enterprise whose purpose was to enhance Madigan's political power and financial well-being." It said that he also used his authority to generate income for his political allies and associates, as per the New York Times.
The 79-year-old Madigan faces 22 counts which have made him the most prominent politician involved in a federal investigation of entrenched government corruption in the state. Lausch added that the former speaker's actions undermined the public's confidence in the government of the United States.
However, Madigan has denied the allegations, releasing a statement following the announcement of the charges on Tuesday evening. He claims that he has never been involved in any form of criminal activity. Madigan says that the government was trying to criminalize routine constituent service, which is job recommendations.
According to NBC Chicago, the former speaker said that the process was not illegal and that all of the other charges against him were equally unfounded. Throughout his five decades as a public servant, he said, he worked to address the needs of his constituents but noted that he always kept in mind the high standards required and the trust that the public placed in him.
Michael Madigan's Criminal Charges
Madigan and his lawyers, while denying the allegations, said that they planned to fight the accusations in court. The former speaker's longtime confidant, Michael McClain, was also charged in the indictment. McClain was a former state legislator and lobbyist who now faces separate charges claiming he orchestrated an alleged bribery scheme by ComEd.
The scheme is believed to have outlined a plan by the utility giant to pay thousands of dollars to lobbyists that Madigan favored in order to win his influence over legislation that the company wanted to pass in Springfield. Furthermore, the indictment alleges that the former speaker illegally solicited business for his private property tax law firm.
The alleged plan was made during discussions to turn a state-owned parcel of land located in Chinatown into commercial development. While the deal was never consummated, it has become a source of interest for federal investigators. In 2020, they subpoenaed Madigan's office for records and communications he had with key players.
Numerous conversations with Madigan were recorded by then-Adl. Daniel Solis who was secretly working with the investigation. One of the discussions was where the former speaker told Solis that he was looking for a colleague to sponsor a House bill approving the land scale, the Chicago Tribune reported.
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