A federal judge in Chicago on Friday sentenced former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Michael J. Madigan to seven and a half years in federal prison for using his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates. A jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago earlier this year convicted Madigan of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States; using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity; wire fraud; and bribery.  Evidence at the four-month trial revealed that Madigan, who served as House Speaker and occupied a number of other political roles, conspired with others to cause the utility company Commonwealth Edison to make monetary payments to Madigan’s associates as a reward for their loyalty to Madigan, in return for performing little or no legitimate work for the business.  The true nature of the payments was to influence and reward Madigan in connection with specific legislation ComEd sought in the Illinois General Assembly.

Madigan, 83, of Chicago, also schemed with an Alderman of the Chicago City Council to steer legal work to Madigan’s private law firm and Madigan’s son, in exchange for Madigan’s assistance in inducing the Governor of Illinois to appoint the Alderman to a compensated state board position. After reviewing Madigan’s criminal conduct and finding that Madigan perjured himself repeatedly in his trial testimony, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed the seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence and fined Madigan $2.5 million. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Ramsey E. Covington, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago.  The government was represented today by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Streicker, Diane MacArthur, and Julia Schwartz.