Crime & Law

Appeals Court Rejects Michael Madigan’s Bid to Stay Out of Prison Pending Appeal

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan must report to federal prison later this month after an Illinois appellate court rejected his bid to remain free pending his ongoing appeal of his corruption convictions.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday denied Madigan’s request to remain out on bond, meaning the longtime speaker must report to federal prison Oct. 13.

Madigan, 83, was sentenced in June to seven-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted early this year on federal bribery and wire fraud charges following a four-month trial that marked one of the most significant public corruption cases to come through the Dirksen Federal Building in recent history.

Madigan was accused of orchestrating five separate corruption schemes, but his convictions centered on just two of those plots: his efforts to secure a valuable state board position for disgraced former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis, and his bribery efforts involving Commonwealth Edison.

In the most wide-ranging of those schemes, Madigan and his codefendant and longtime ally Michael McClain were accused of arranging subcontractor jobs for several of the former speaker’s associates with ComEd, which paid them $1.3 million even as they did little or no actual work.

ComEd execs allegedly hired the “ghost” workers in order to win over Madigan’s support on critical energy legislation in Springfield. McClain — who was tried alongside Madigan, but was not convicted in that case — and three other utility officials were previously found guilty of conspiring to bribe Madigan in the 2023 “ComEd Four” trial.

Despite his convictions, Madigan’s defense team noted that the jury failed to convict their client on 13 other counts, including the top count of racketeering conspiracy. They argued the government’s “proof was lacking.” His appeal remains pending.

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