CHICAGO – Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison after his February conviction on 10 corruption charges, including bribery.
Capitol News Illinois reports the longtime Democratic powerbroker reported to Chicago’s federal courthouse Friday afternoon for sentencing in front of a packed courtroom.
Prior to the judge’s sentence, Madigan apologized only for – quote – “putting the people of the state of Illinois through this” but not explicitly for his crimes.
The former speaker had asked for only five years’ probation, including one year on home confinement, in order to care for his ailing wife. Prosecutors asked for 12-and-a-half years in prison.
Madigan will have to report to prison in October.
Following Madigan’s sentencing, our local lawmakers released statements regarding the decision.
State Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona)
“Mike Madigan’s 7.5-year prison sentence, 3 years of probation, and $2.5 million fine is a long-time coming. Obviously, our ethics laws are not strong enough to deter corrupt politicians from self-dealing, and that must change. We cannot wait for Federal prosecutors to intervene to stamp out corruption. We must act ourselves. I urge my Democratic colleagues to get serious about passing real ethics reform so the people of Illinois can once again have faith and trust in their government.”
State Rep. Dave Severin (R-Benton)
“Mike Madigan is a convicted felon. He belongs in jail, and that’s where he’s going for a long time. Madigan ruled Illinois with an iron fist, stopped good legislation, rewarded political allies, and consolidated unprecedented power while lining his pockets with money from his corruption. The crimes that Madigan perpetrated upon the people of Illinois bring to mind a famous quote, ‘Absolute power corrupts, absolutely.’ If Madigan’s conviction and lengthy prison sentence don’t cause Democrats to act on ethics reforms, maybe nothing ever will, and that is a shame. I stand ready to vote to change Illinois’ culture of corruption for good. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join me.”
State Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis)
“Speaker Madigan will now be a federal prison inmate, and for his crimes against the people of Illinois, that is where he belongs. Speaker Madigan broke the trust of the people he was elected to represent by engaging in what prosecutors described as the ‘Make Mike Madigan Money Plan’. Mike Madigan ruled Illinois with an iron fist, amassed a historically unmatched kingdom of political power, and sadly, used his power and influence to put his personal financial interests ahead of those of the citizens of Illinois. I’m a co-sponsor of several bills that would target public corruption and provide real disincentives to those politicians who would breach the public trust for their own financial gain. I support banning legislators from serving as lobbyists, a ban on the use of campaign funds to pay for legal defense, and empowering the Legislative Inspector General to have subpoena power so that office has the power it needs to conduct thorough investigations. My message to my Democratic colleagues is this: Wake up and take action to stop public corruption. Let’s ensure that the citizens of Illinois are never again wronged by another Mike Madigan.”
State Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro)
“Mike Madigan’s sentencing is a long overdue moment of accountability for the damage he did to Illinois. He spent decades consolidating power and enriching himself and his allies while taxpayers were left footing the bill. But make no mistake, this is not just about one man. It is about a broken system that allowed him to operate unchecked for far too long. If we want to restore faith in state government, we need to dismantle the corrupt machine he built and pass real ethics reforms. Justice has been served today, but the work to clean up Springfield is far from over.”
