Ex-Illinois House Speaker Madigan Must Report To Prison Monday

Once known as the most powerful politician in Illinois, Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan must report to federal prison to begin serving a more than seven-year sentence for bribery and corruption on Monday, according to multiple reports.

Madigan, 83, is required to turn himself in by 2 p.m. Monday.

According to the Chicago Tribune, it was still unclear where the disgraced Democrat will serve his sentence, though his attorneys requested he be sent to the medium-security federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Madigan was the longest-serving leader of any state or federal legislative body in the history of the United States. He held the position for all but two years, from 1983 to 2021.

In February, he was found guilty of found guilty of conspiracy, bribery and wire fraud, among other charges, but not racketeering. His convictions include conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, four counts of using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity, three counts of wire fraud, and two counts of bribery.

Madigan was found not guilty on four charges: using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity, two bribery counts and an attempted extortion count.

He and his codefendant and longtime confidant, lobbyist Michael McClain, faced an indictment that charged them with racketeering, conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud. The 117-page, 29-count indictment was filed in October 2022.

In July, McClain was sentenced to two years in federal prison. He and three co-defendants — former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and former contract lobbyist Jay Doherty, known as the "ComEd Four" — were convicted of bribery and conspiracy.

The U.S. Attorney's office alleged that Madigan conspired with others to cause Commonwealth Edison to make monetary payments to Madigan's associates as a reward for their loyalty to the speaker, in return for performing little or no legitimate work for the utility. The true nature of the payments was to influence and reward Madigan in connection with specific legislation ComEd sought in the Illinois General Assembly.

The feds also said Madigan schemed to accept legal work unlawfully steered to his private law firm and his son by a Chicago alderman, in exchange for Madigan's assistance in inducing the governor of Illinois to appoint the alderman to a compensated State Board position.

In July, Madigan attempted to appeal his conviction, for which he was sentenced to 7-1/2 years in prison and ordered to pay a $2.5 million fine.