Former House Speaker Michael Madigan, who was indicted on 22 counts Wednesday by a federal grand jury, is pictured in a file photo from the Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association brunch in 2019.
Feds Indict Madigan on 22 Counts
SPRINGFIELD – Longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 22 counts for allegedly using his position as the top House Democrat to solicit “personal financial rewards” for himself and others, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois.
The U.S. attorney announced the indictment just after 4 p.m. Wednesday after distributing a news release hours earlier announcing a planned 4:30 p.m. news conference to unveil unspecified public corruption charges.
The former leader of the Democratic Party and Illinois House Speaker for all but two years since 1983 until his unseating in January 2021 is accused of “nearly a decade” of running “a criminal enterprise whose purpose was to enhance Madigan’s political power and financial well-being while also generating income for his political allies and associates,” according to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office.
Madigan’s longtime confidante, Michael McClain, whose home was raided by the FBI in May 2019 in what was one of the first public acts of a long-running federal investigation, was also named in a news release outlining the public corruption charges.
McClain “carried out illegal activities at Madigan’s behest,” according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
The speaker also used his position as committeeman for Chicago’s 13th Ward, chairman of both the Illinois Democratic Party and the 13th Ward Democratic Organization, and position at the Chicago law firm of Madigan & Getzendanner to “further the goals of the criminal enterprise.”
Local reaction to the federal indictments came quickly.
State Senator Sally Turner (R-Beason) posted the following on social media:
“Today’s indictment of former Speaker Madigan comes as no surprise to far too many people. Once again, the ethics laws of our state have failed the people of Illinois and has forced the federal government to step in to clean up Illinois’ corruption. It is time for the lawmakers of this state to take ethics seriously and to pass real reforms that will help keep corrupt public officials accountable for the illegal actions.”