The jury in Michael Madigan’s federal corruption trial found the former Illinois House speaker guilty on several counts as part of a partial verdict. The jury’s foreman spoke with ABC7 Wednesday night.
CHICAGO (WLS) — The jury in Michael Madigan’s federal corruption trial found the former Illinois House speaker guilty on several counts as part of a partial verdict.
The jury reached a partial verdict on 17 counts and could not reach consensus on 12 others, with a mistrial being declared for those counts. The jury did not reach a verdict on any of the counts involving Michael McClain.
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was found guilty on 10 counts and not guilty in seven counts in a partial verdict.
They handed down a partial verdict after stating Wednesday that the impasse they had reached on several counts “will not be overcome.”
The jury found Madigan guilty on 10 counts and not guilty on seven other counts.
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Madigan faced 23 counts of racketeering, conspiracy, bribery, fraud, attempted extortion and use of facility. Of those 23 charges, co-defendant Mike McClain shares six.
ABC7 Chicago had a short interaction with Mr. Madigan moments after a guilty verdict was handed over.
In the ComEd allegations, Madigan was found guilty on conspiracy to commit bribery, two counts of bribery and one count of travel act and was acquitted on one count of bribery and one count of travel act.
The jury in Michael Madigan’s federal corruption trial found the former Illinois House speaker guilty.
For the state board position allegations, Madigan was found guilty on three counts of wire fraud, three counts of travel act and was found not guilty of bribery.
I knew [Madigan] to be a good person… good people sometimes break the law… I don’t feel good about it, but when they break the law, they need to be held accountable.
Tim Nessner, foreman of jury
In the Union West development allegations, Madigan was found not guilty of attempted extortion and three counts of travel act.
LIVE UPDATES: Madigan trial live blog
It is hard to overstate the significance of this verdict, even when it was a partial one.
A jury of eight women and four men held truth to power, and found Madigan, the longest-serving speaker of a statewide House in the nation, guilty in what was a monster-sized, multi-faceted indictment.
The jury deliberated for more than 60 hours over 11 days before reaching the partial verdict.
ABC7 Chicago caught up with the co-defendant and his defense attorney Patrick Cotter as they walked out.
The case involves five different episodes of criminal allegations, and the trial ran for months, with jury selection began on Oct. 8. The case featured dozens of witnesses, hundreds of phone calls and emails and Madigan himself even took the witness stand.
The jury, however, was unable to reach agreement on several counts, including racketeering, the umbrella charge that covered the five different criminal schemes alleged in the indictment.
It carries a complex burden of proof.
Tim Nessner, the jury’s foreman, said each and every juror dealt only with the information they heard in court.
“I would have loved to have come to a unanimous on all 29 counts. We weren’t able to do that,” Nessner said. “I think we allowed the instructions that were given to us to lead the way, and that’s absolutely what we followed.”
Those instructions, and the government’s case, couldn’t convince jurors Madigan’s co-defendant and longtime right hand man, Mike McClain, had broken any laws, despite another jury finding him guilty of conspiring to bribe Madigan in another trial nearly two years ago.
“Not necessarily a supporter, but I knew [Madigan] to be a good person… good people sometimes break the law… I don’t feel good about it, but when they break the law, they need to be held accountable.”
The government on Wednesday said they will take some time before deciding whether to retry Madigan and McClain on the racketeering charge.
One juror spoke on his way out of the courthouse.
“In terms of count one, I think we all was kind of on the fence; so, we didn’t really come to a decision on that one. Personally, what I’ve learned is that individuals are coming from a different perspective in terms of the way that they view the evidence in the way that it’s presented,” said the juror, who wanted to be identified as Malik.
That they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on all 23 counts is hardly surprising, say some, given the enormous complexity of the case, which included the testimony of more than 60 witnesses and hundreds of government exhibits, including emails, wiretapped phone calls and undercover meetings recorded by not one but two government moles, including former Alderman Danny Solis.
“Given the complexity of the case, I’m not really all that surprised. They had a unanimous verdict on the others. They’ve been going on a long time. It was probably just time just to end it,” former federal prosecutor Chris Hotaling said.
Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Morris Pasqual, FBI Special Agent Douglas DePodesta and IRS Acting Special Agent Ramsey Covington held a joint press conference outside the courtroom.
FBI and US Attorney’s Office officials spoke a fter the Madigan verdict Wednesday.
“Bribery, whether it’s the old-fashioned cash stuffed in an envelope or the more refined version practiced by Madigan is still illegal,” Pasqual said. “This is the historic conviction, which ranks high in the annals of criminal cases tried in this courtroom.”
McClain defense attorney Patrick Cotter spoke after the jury said they were deadlocked when it came to the co-defendant’s charges.
McClain’s attorneys spoke after a partial verdict Wednesday.
The jury was unaware that McClain was convicted of conspiring to bribe Madigan at a separate trial, nearly two years ago.
“My head is spinning; so. I can’t really put anything in the thoughts right now. I was surprised I got indicted,” McClain said outside the courthouse.
Madigan left the federal courthouse Wednesday afternoon as a convicted felon. And yet, the former Illinois House speaker’s thoughts remained private. The Sphinx, as he was once known by some, remained as impenetrable as ever, even as federal prosecutors celebrated their win: albeit, a partial one.
Madigan even turned the tables on reporters who tried to get a reaction to the jury’s decision Wednesday.
“How are you feeling? That’s what we are concerned about,” he said.
While the trial is over, there are still at least two more chapters to be written.
While Madigan’s defense team will undoubtedly appeal the verdict, he still faces a forfeiture hearing during which the judge will determine how much money he will need to fork over to the federal government.
And then, there is the sentencing. That is likely still several months away, but it is expected the judge will sentence him to serving at least some time in prison. How much will depend on a variety of factors, including how much of an example the government wants to make of him, but also his age.
What could Madigan’s sentence be?
Madigan is 82 years old.
He remains free on bond pending sentencing.
While the maximum sentencing guidelines for some of the charges he’s been found guilty of are up to 20 years in prison, legal observers believe, given his age, the judge will likely hand down a sentence higher than former Alderman Ed Burke’s two and a half years, but under five years.
Reaction to verdict
Republicans and Democrats are denouncing the corruption that brought Madigan down.
Political reaction is pouring in Wednesday afternoon to the Madigan verdict. Republicans and Democrats are denouncing the corruption that brought Madigan down.
There are also calls for change in Springfield.
This verdict did not come as a surprise to many people, given the track record of convictions by federal prosecutors in Chicago.
“To me, this is the most significant political corruption and conviction in at least my lifetime because it truly reflected that, for 40 years, Mike Madigan corruptly ran his operation in Springfield, never for the benefit of the citizens of the state, all transactional,” political consultant Pat Brady said.
“Here you have another example of another extremely powerful Democratic politician who is going down because of the pay-to play system that he dominated at,” political analyst Laura Washington.
The question is what difference will it make in deterring corruption.
“We all knew this day was coming, yet, another sober day for our state, for our government, but most importantly for Illinois taxpayers and families throughout Illinois,” House Republican Leader state Rep. Tony McCombie said. “Well, we say enough is enough, and you’ve heard us say that before. We cannot afford to have federal prosecutors continue to enforce our weak ethic laws”.
Political reaction poured in Wednesday to the Madigan verdict. Republicans and Democrats denounced the corruption that brought Madigan down.
The guilty verdict against Madigan ended years of investigation into the powerful former House speaker.
Other current and former lawmakers are hoping it sends a message.
“What justice for the people of Illinois whose trust was betrayed will look like is nothing, is something like this never happening again. That’s what justice will look like,” said state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago.
For years, lawmakers have pushed for ethics reforms, and now with the Madigan verdict, there are renewed calls to fix the system that has allowed corruption to happen.
“No one ever thought that Mike Madigan would ever trip up, or he would ever be caught for doing anything illegal. The verdict Illinois, it should be a shotgun blast around the Capitol, saying, ‘Hey, start doing something. Do it quick; do a better job,'” former House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said. “This was a good verdict for Illinois citizens. People who want, they want a clean government. They want a fair government. They want people to go down to Springfield and do the good things, not things that are going to benefit themselves.”
Gov. JB Pritzker released a statement, saying “Trust in public officials is something that’s hard earned. Public service ought to be a high calling for honest people with integrity. And those who violate the public’s trust must be held accountable if confidence in the system is to be restored.
“The Madigan verdict by a jury of everyday Illinoisans is an important message to anyone in government – or those thinking about public service – that if you choose corruption you will be found out, and you will be punished.
“This week has been a vital reminder that we must maintain our vigilance in cleaning up government and always put the people we serve first.”
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said in a statement, “I have always believed that a court of law was the place for this to all be sorted out. Today’s outcome leaves me with great appreciation and respect for our legal system. Investigators, prosecutors, and a jury of Illinoisans did their job.
“House Democrats have been focused on delivering for working people, rebuilding Illinois’ fiscal house, and prioritizing our shared values to combat the divisive tactics coming from Washington-and only through new leadership and a new vision of how the People’s House can operate would that work be possible. House Democrats will continue to do our job and deliver for the people.”
ABC7 Political Analyst Laura Washington talks about the fallout from former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s conviction.
Former Gov. Bruce Rauner recalled a private conversation from 2009 in which he said he asked Madigan what his goal was for improving the lives Illinoisans.
Rauner said Madigan replied, “I have no goal like that. I do two things: I manage power, and I make money from managing power.”
Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, issued a statement saying, “The jury’s verdict closes a long, disturbing chapter in Illinois’ history. It’s a stark reminder that corruption, abuse of power and manipulation of public policy for personal gain can never be tolerated. We cannot be effective if people don’t trust us.
“Yet, every failure is an opportunity to be better. In recent years, we have worked to restore that trust through balanced budgets, credit rating upgrades, community investments and sweeping, bipartisan ethics reform.
“Today’s verdict is a sobering reminder that our work is never finished.
“I stand ready to work with my colleagues to continue this fight for the people of Illinois.”
Illinois GOP Chair Kathy Salvi issued a statement saying, “Mike Madigan, the long-time leader of the Illinois Democrat Party, now faces accountability from decades of fleecing Illinois’ taxpayers. The Illinois Democrat Party is no stranger to corruption and putting its own interest above the Prairie State but it doesn’t have to be this way. Most Democrat elected officials will pretend today that they condemn Madigan but their history proves otherwise. Make no mistake: nearly every Democrat in Illinois has benefitted from Madigan’s corruption in some way, and they have all been willing to sell their souls for hefty donations and the support of the political machine Madigan built. While we have a long way to go to recover from more than half a century of Madigan’s corruption, today is a great day for the people of Illinois.”
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The jury in Michael Madigan’s federal corruption trial found the former Illinois House speaker guilty on several counts as part of a partial verdict. The jury’s foreman spoke with ABC7 Wednesday night.
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