Week in Review: Madigan Convicted for Corruption; Trump Pardons Blagojevich

Paul Caine | February 14, 2025, 8:44 pm

A nail in the coffin for the man once known as the “velvet hammer.” The once vaunted and powerful former Illinois House speaker, Michael Madigan, is convicted on 10 counts of corruption.

Madigan’s conviction came the same week his onetime nemesis, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, got his criminal record wiped clean with a pardon from President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, days after Mayor Brandon Johnson promises heads will roll — there’s turnover at City Hall.

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Chicagoans get a glimpse of the city’s suddenly well-known gift closet.

In what civil rights attorney Ben Crump described as the “first step in the journey for justice,” the family of Sonya Massey — killed in her home by a sheriff’s deputy — gets a $10 million settlement from Sangamon County.

And fears that federal funding won’t come through leads to a pause on a project meant to keep invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes.

Guests:

Rob Hart, WBBM | @RobHartWBBM

Adriana Perez, Chicago Tribune | @adrianamperezr

Matt Masterson, WTTW News | @ByMattMasterson

Dave McKinney, WBEZ | @WBEZ

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