Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, once the most powerful figure in state politics, was sentenced Friday to 7.5 years in prison and fined $2.5 million after being convicted on 10 counts of corruption, including bribery, conspiracy, and wire fraud. The 83-year-old Democrat, who served nearly 40 years as speaker and over two decades as head of the Illinois Democratic Party, was found guilty of using his legislative power to secure jobs, contracts, and favors for political allies—most notably pushing laws beneficial to utility giant ComEd in exchange for kickbacks. U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey, citing a “nauseating display of perjury and evasion,” rejected pleas for leniency despite Madigan’s age and his ailing wife’s emotional appeal.
Prosecutors sought 12.5 years, while Madigan’s defense requested probation, arguing he lived modestly and wasn’t driven by greed. But Judge Blakey emphasized that Madigan’s decades of influence came with a duty to uphold integrity—not exploit it. “Being great is hard. Being honest is not,” Blakey remarked. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker noted Madigan’s lack of remorse, saying he missed his chance to set a standard for ethical governance and instead followed a familiar pattern of Illinois corruption. While the jury deadlocked on six charges and acquitted him on seven, Madigan’s conviction marks a dramatic end to a career once defined by dominance and discretion. His legacy now stands as a cautionary tale about unchecked political power and the corrosive effects of corruption.
