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.
