Democratic Power Broker in Illinois Is Convicted in Corruption Trial
In a split verdict handed up after more than 60 hours of deliberations, the jury acquitted him on seven of the charges he faced, including attempted extortion. And it was not able to reach a decision on other charges against Mr. Madigan, including racketeering conspiracy.
Once among the most dominant figures in Illinois politics, Mr. Madigan, 82, was indicted in March 2022, accused of soliciting bribes from ComEd, an electrical utility, and trading favors for the company for jobs and money for his political allies.
The prosecution is one of the highest-profile public corruption cases ever brought in Illinois, a state that has seen its share of such trials. Prosecutors accused the former speaker 'of leading for nearly a decade 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.'
Mr. Madigan served as the speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1983 to 2021, with a two-year interruption in the mid-1990s when Republicans had control of the chamber.
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