Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s stunning fall from power ended Friday with a seven and a half year prison sentence and a $2.5 million fine.
The once-mighty speaker, who held the title of longest-serving legislative leader in American history, was convicted of trading legislation for favors and financial perks for his friends and political allies.
U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey handed down the sentence in federal court in Chicago, closing the chapter on a man once known as the “Velvet Hammer” for his quiet but ruthless grip on power. Madigan, now 83, was found guilty in February on 10 of 23 counts after a four-month corruption trial that featured 60 witnesses and piles of evidence, including documents, photos, and recorded conversations, The Associated Press reported.
Prosecutors had pushed for 12.5 years behind bars. Madigan’s lawyers begged for probation, arguing he was a decent man who meant well and needed to be home to care for his ailing wife, Shirley, who appeared in a video to plead for his release.
But Blakey didn’t buy it, pointing out that sentencing guidelines allowed for up to 105 years due to the scope of Madigan’s crimes, including what the judge called “a nauseating display of perjury and evasion.”
“You lied. You did not have to. You had a right to sit there and exercise your right to silence,” Blakey said. “But you took the stand and you took the law into your own hands.”
Madigan ruled Illinois politics for decades, serving nearly 40 years as speaker and more than 20 years as the head of the state Democratic Party. He handpicked candidates, controlled the political maps, and set the agenda in Springfield. All the while, he quietly built a private law practice that helped him accumulate an estimated $40 million fortune.
The jury found that Madigan pushed through legislation favorable to utility giant ComEd in return for a steady stream of kickbacks, contracts, and jobs for his allies. One of those allies was a retiring Chicago alderman who wanted a cushy spot on a state board.
He was convicted on 10 counts, including bribery, conspiracy, and wire fraud. The jury deadlocked on six counts, including racketeering, and cleared him on seven others.
Before the sentence was handed down, Madigan gave a short statement, asking for mercy so he could stay with his wife and family in what he called the final stretch of his life.
“I’m truly sorry for putting the people of the state of Illinois through this,” he said. “I tried to do my best to serve the people of the state of Illinois. I am not perfect.”
In describing Madigan, the judge didn’t let the Democratic lawmaker’s years of service overshadow the facts.
“Being great is hard. Being honest is not. It’s hard to commit crimes. It actually takes effort,” Blakey said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker drove the point home, saying Madigan still hadn’t shown any remorse or accepted responsibility.
She said he had “every opportunity to set the standard for honest government.” Instead, “he fit right into the mold of yet another corrupt leader in Illinois.”
Madigan’s defense team had called the government’s sentence “draconian.”
“He did not seek to be greedy. He lived a very frugal life,” attorney Dan Collins said. “The rhetoric wants to make Mike responsible for the long history of corruption in Illinois. He is not, Judge. He is one man.”
They pushed for five years’ probation, one year of home confinement, community service, and a reasonable fine. In the video submitted to the court, Shirley Madigan said she couldn’t live without him.
“I really don’t exist without him,” she said. “I wish I could say that I do, but I don’t know what I would do without Michael. I would probably have to find someplace to live, and I’d probably have to find care.”