Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan has been sentence to 7.5 years in federal prison and a $2.5 million fine after his conviction on charges of corruption. ABC 7 Chicago reports:
CHICAGO (WLS) — Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan was sentenced Friday to seven and a half years in federal prison and a $2.5 million fine in his corruption case.
The hearing lasted hours, starting around 1 p.m. at the Dirksen Federal Building. The sentence came down about 4:30 p.m.
Though it’s unclear where he’ll serve time, Madigan was ordered to report to prison October 13, almost a year to the day jury selection in his trial began.
Judge John Robert Blakey spent hours Friday discussing his reasoning for the sentence and enhancements on bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud charges.
“Judge Blakey is sending a very powerful message, not only to Speaker Madigan, but to the entire political establishment here in Illinois. Don’t engage in corruption,” said Chris Hotaling, former federal prosecutor.
The judge also touched on the ComEd Four conspiracy case and whether Madigan perjured himself, when he took the stand. Blakey said he believed he did.
Madigan was convicted in February of bribery conspiracy and other corruption counts, including the scheme with ComEd that enriched his allies in exchange for favorable legislation.
“We saw the public get a corruption tax for years and years, and we’re still paying that tax, frankly, when you look at the legislation that was passed,” said David Greising, President of the Better Government Association.
Apologists masquerading as analysts continue to prate about the good that Speaker Madigan did for the people of Illinois. As the late Mayor Daley used to say, let’s look at the record. Over a period of 40 years as Illinois House Speaker and chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party he enriched himself and his cronies. Illinois went from having a high credit rating to one of the lowest in the country. It went from being a low tax state to a high tax state. Businesses and people left in droves for more favorable, less corrupt states.
There have been hundreds of federal convictions of office holders for corruption. Nothing seems to deter it. Barring an amendment to the state’s constitution Illinoisans will continue to be yoked to high public employee pension payments.
Chicago went from “the city that works” to its lowest population in a century. Until the Republican Party become completely supine there was incessant inter-party conflict. Now there’s incessant intra-party conflict. In short most of what Speaker Madigan championed was wrong.
Mr. Madigan was only convicted of his latest misdeeds so the sentence is relatively light. Considering his age it is likely to be a life sentence.
I’m waiting for the next shoe to drop. I doubt we have heard the last of Mr. Madigan.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
He might not be worried about this at all.
We shouldn’t revel in another’s tragedy. But if there was ever a scumbag in IL, Its Mike Madigan.
He got what he deserved.