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‘Illinois has always been kind of a transactional state': Political science professor weighs in on Madigan sentencing
CHICAGO (WCIA) — Michael Madigan, the longest-serving state Speaker of the House in American history, will serve seven and a half years in prison.
A federal jury convicted Madigan of 10 charges back in February, including bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud. On Friday, Judge John Blakey handed down that sentence.
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When calculating how long the sentence would be in the final ruling, reporters in the room said Judge Blakey cited many factors, including evidence that he led the operations and gave false testimony on the stand. He also said he felt Madigan showed no remorse for his crimes when testifying.
Prosecutors declared victory and said one of the state's most influential power brokers is facing consequences for his crimes.
'Corruption at the highest level of the state legislature tears at the fabric of a vital governing body,' U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew Boutros said in a statement. 'It was the grit and determination of our team of prosecutors and law enforcement agents… that allowed this case to reach a jury and send a clear message that the criminal conduct by former Speaker Madigan was unacceptable.'
In the court room, Madigan's defense tried to paint him as a public servant and argued he should only receive probation. He also received hundreds of letters in support.
WGN reports Madigan himself also took the stand, admitting he wasn't perfect but asked the judge if he could spend his final days with his family.
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'When I look back on my life, being speaker is not what I'm most proud of,' the former speaker testified. 'I'm proudest of being a father and grandfather.'
UIS professor emeritus of political science Kent Redfield said part of Madigan's legacy is power continues to be held in the Illinois General Assembly by caucus leaders.
'Over time, he just built the office into an institution that's incredibly powerful, and there's absolutely no reason why it had to turn out that way,' he said.
Madigan served as speaker of the Illinois House for all but two years between 1983 and 2021, and he served as chair of the Illinois Democratic Party from 1998 to 2021.
'He never was the kind of same household name that a governor would be, particularly a long-standing governor like Governor [Jim] Thompson, Governor [Jim] Edgar,' Redfield explained. 'But in terms of you know, people who know the inside of Illinois politics, then he was a key feature, and he had a dominant factor in the process for an incredibly long period of time.'
Legislators on both sides of the aisle have called for more ethics reform since Madigan's 2022 indictment. But while smaller proposals like restrictions on lobbying and gifts have passed, many lawmakers aren't satisfied.
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'The Democratic Majority must allow ethics proposals to receive committee hearings and votes and stop stifling reforms put forward by the Republican minority from full consideration in the General Assembly,' Senate Minority Leader John Curran said in a statement.
Redfield said it's tough for the legislature to pass stricter ethics laws.
'We tend not to think systematically, we tend to react to the current situation,' he said. 'How can we make this go away, how we can deal with any particular problem or particular person, and not get to the heart of, how do we make politics more ethical.'
Madigan is 83 years old, meaning he will be 90 when he is released in prison. Reporters in the room said the judge noted his age when deciding his sentence.
He will report to custody on October 13. Also, as a part of his sentence is a $2.5 million fine and three years of probation.
WCIA reached out to Governor J.B. Pritzker's office for response to the sentence but did not hear back.
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