Michael Madigan

Michael Joseph Madigan
Born:	April 19, 1942 Chicago, Illinois
Charges:	Bribery conspiracy (1 count), Bribery (2 counts), Wire fraud (3 counts), Travel Act / interstate commerce to facilitate bribery (4 counts)
Sentence:	90 months (7½ years) federal prison, $2.5 million fine, 3 years supervised release
Facility:	Federal Prison Camp, Morgantown, West Virginia
Status:	Incarcerated

Michael Joseph Madigan (born April 19, 1942) is a former American politician from Chicago, Illinois. He served as Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives for most of the period between 1983 and 2021, the longest tenure of any state or federal legislative leader in United States history. He also chaired the Democratic Party of Illinois for more than three decades.

On February 12, 2025, a federal jury in Chicago convicted Madigan on 10 of 23 counts in a public corruption case. He was found guilty of one count of bribery conspiracy, two counts of bribery, three counts of wire fraud, and four counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate bribery. The convictions centered on a scheme in which Commonwealth Edison, the state's largest electric utility, arranged jobs, contracts, and payments for Madigan associates to influence legislation in Springfield, and on a separate effort to secure a state board appointment for a Chicago alderman.

The same jury acquitted Madigan on seven counts and could not reach a verdict on six others, including the lead racketeering conspiracy charge. U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey declared a mistrial on the deadlocked counts. On June 13, 2025, Blakey sentenced Madigan to 90 months in federal prison and a $2.5 million fine. Madigan reported to a federal prison camp in Morgantown, West Virginia, on October 13, 2025. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction on April 27, 2026.

Political Career

Madigan was born on April 19, 1942, and grew up in the Clearing neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago. He earned a law degree and entered Democratic politics through the city's organization on the Southwest Side.

He won election to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1970 and represented a Chicago district for five decades. He first became Speaker in 1983. He held the post continuously through 2021 except for one term, from 1995 to 1997, when Republicans held a majority in the chamber. Across that span he became the longest-serving leader of any legislative body, at the state or federal level, in the history of the country.

Alongside his legislative role, Madigan chaired the Democratic Party of Illinois from 1998 until 2021. The combination of the speakership and the party chairmanship gave him control over the legislative calendar, district map-drawing, and campaign funding for House Democrats. He was widely described in Illinois media as the most powerful figure in state government for much of his career.

In 2021 Madigan lost the speakership after a group of House Democrats withheld their support. He resigned his House seat and stepped down as party chairman the same year.

The ComEd Scheme

The federal case grew out of an investigation into Commonwealth Edison, known as ComEd, the utility that serves northern Illinois. In July 2020 ComEd entered a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois. The company admitted that it had arranged benefits for Madigan associates over a period of years and agreed to pay a $200 million penalty.

Prosecutors said ComEd paid roughly $1.3 million over about eight years to five people connected to Madigan. The payments ran through subcontractor arrangements and consulting contracts. In several cases, the recipients did little or no work for the money. The government's position was that the arrangement was designed to keep Madigan favorable toward ComEd's legislative priorities in Springfield, including bills affecting the utility's rates and operations.

A second strand of the case involved Danny Solis, a former Chicago alderman who became a cooperating witness and recorded conversations for the government. Prosecutors charged that Madigan worked to obtain a paid seat on a state board for Solis. In exchange, the government alleged, Madigan sought to steer property tax work to his private law firm from real estate developers whose projects Solis influenced.

Michael McClain, a former lobbyist and longtime Madigan confidant, was charged as a co-defendant and tried alongside him. Prosecutors described McClain as Madigan's intermediary in the ComEd arrangement.

Trial and Verdict

The trial opened in the fall of 2024 in U.S. District Court in Chicago and ran for several months. Madigan testified in his own defense. The case went to the jury in late January 2025.

Jurors deliberated for more than 60 hours across 11 days. On February 12, 2025, they returned a partial verdict. Madigan was convicted on 10 of the 23 counts he faced.

The guilty counts were one count of bribery conspiracy tied to ComEd, two counts of bribery tied to ComEd, three counts of wire fraud connected to the effort to secure a state board seat for Solis, and four counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate bribery.

Madigan was acquitted of seven counts. Those included one bribery count related to the Solis board scheme, two counts related to the ComEd scheme, and four counts tied to an alleged effort to bring law firm business to Madigan from West Loop apartment developers.

The jury could not agree on six counts. The deadlocked counts included the racketeering conspiracy charge, the most serious count in the indictment, along with five counts connected to Solis and to Chinatown development legislation. Judge Blakey declared a mistrial on those counts. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on any of the counts against McClain, and the judge declared a mistrial as to him.

Sentencing

Judge Blakey held the sentencing hearing on June 13, 2025. He imposed a term of 90 months, equal to 7½ years, in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He added a $2.5 million fine and three years of supervised release to follow the prison term.

In his remarks from the bench, Blakey described the case as a "tale of two Mikes." He acknowledged that Madigan had done work that benefited the public during his decades in office, and he also found that Madigan had committed acts of corruption. The judge said Madigan acted as the "central command post" of the bribery scheme.

Blakey also found that Madigan had lied during his testimony at trial. The judge described that testimony as a display of "perjury and evasion" and treated it as a factor at sentencing.

Federal inmates generally serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. Under that standard, Madigan would be in his late 80s before becoming eligible for release.

Incarceration

Madigan reported to the Federal Prison Camp in Morgantown, West Virginia, on October 13, 2025, about eight months after the verdict. The facility is a minimum-security federal prison camp located near Morgantown, the home of West Virginia University. It sits roughly 500 miles from Chicago.

Appeal

Madigan appealed his conviction to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. On April 27, 2026, a three-judge panel affirmed all 10 of the guilty verdicts in a 29-page opinion. Judge Michael Scudder wrote for the panel. The court rejected arguments that the trial judge had erred in his jury instructions and that prosecutors had failed to prove a specific quid pro quo agreement. Scudder wrote that "a jury of twelve Illinois residents saw the evidence differently. So do we."

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is Michael Madigan?

Michael Joseph Madigan is a former American politician from Chicago, Illinois. He served as Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives for most of the period from 1983 to 2021 and chaired the Democratic Party of Illinois. In 2025 he was convicted on 10 federal corruption counts in a case involving the utility Commonwealth Edison.

Q: What was Michael Madigan convicted of?

A federal jury in Chicago convicted Madigan on February 12, 2025, of 10 counts: one count of bribery conspiracy, two counts of bribery, three counts of wire fraud, and four counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate bribery. The charges stemmed from a scheme in which ComEd arranged jobs and payments for his associates to influence legislation.

Q: What was Michael Madigan acquitted of?

The jury acquitted Madigan of seven counts. Those included one bribery count tied to a state board appointment, two counts related to the ComEd scheme, and four counts connected to an alleged effort to bring property tax law firm business to Madigan from apartment developers.

Q: Did the jury reach a verdict on all counts?

No. The jury deadlocked on six of the 23 counts, including the lead racketeering conspiracy charge. Judge John Robert Blakey declared a mistrial on those counts. The jury also deadlocked on all counts against co-defendant Michael McClain.

Q: How long is Michael Madigan's sentence?

Judge John Robert Blakey sentenced Madigan on June 13, 2025, to 90 months, equal to 7½ years, in federal prison. The sentence included a $2.5 million fine and three years of supervised release.

Q: Where is Michael Madigan incarcerated?

Madigan reported on October 13, 2025, to the Federal Prison Camp in Morgantown, West Virginia, a minimum-security facility near West Virginia University.

Q: What was the ComEd scheme?

Prosecutors said Commonwealth Edison paid about $1.3 million over roughly eight years to five people connected to Madigan, often through subcontractor and consulting arrangements in which the recipients did little work. The government argued the payments were meant to keep Madigan favorable toward the utility's legislation in Springfield. ComEd admitted the conduct in a 2020 deferred prosecution agreement and paid a $200 million penalty.

Q: Did Michael Madigan appeal his conviction?

Yes. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed all 10 guilty verdicts on April 27, 2026, in a ruling written by Judge Michael Scudder. The court rejected arguments about the jury instructions and the proof of a quid pro quo.

Q: When will Michael Madigan be released?

Federal inmates generally serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. Under that standard, Madigan, born in 1942, would be in his late 80s before becoming eligible for release. A precise release date is set by the Bureau of Prisons.