Contributing: Jermont Terry, Dana Kozlov
CHICAGO (CBS/AP) — Former Illinois Home Speaker Michael Madigan has been indicted on federal racketeering fees.
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Madigan, 79, is charged with 22 counts. They embrace racketeering conspiracy and particular person counts of utilizing interstate amenities in help of bribery, wire fraud, and tried extortion.
U.S. Lawyer John Lausch introduced Wednesday {that a} federal grand jury returned the indictment on Wednesday. Madigan is accused of utilizing his official place to solicit private monetary good points for himself and his associates.
Madigan served as state consultant representing the twenty second state Home District; committeeman for the thirteenth Ward in Chicago – a place he nonetheless holds; chairman of the Illinois Democratic Celebration and the thirteenth Ward Democratic Group, and a associate on the Chicago legislation agency Madigan & Getzendanner. The costs mentioned Madigan and his “Madigan Enterprise” abused these positions for private acquire.
The indictment claims that Madigan directed the actions of his longtime confidant Michael McClain, who in flip carried out unlawful actions on the behest of Madigan. McClain is charged as a co-defendant within the indictment.
Learn The Indictment
They’re accused of a bribery scheme involving a number of companies – together with ComEd – during which the companies paid Madigan’s associates as a reward for his or her loyalty to Madigan. Lausch mentioned Madigan used his varied political positions as a part of a long-term scheme to rearrange for no-show jobs for his political staff, and private advantages for himself.
“Madigan and McClain unlawfully requested that varied firms with curiosity in state laws, together with utility firm Commonwealth Edison, paid Madigan’s associates as a reward for his or her loyalty to Madigan; at instances in return for performing little to no respectable work for these companies,” Lausch mentioned. “The indictment additionally accuses Madigan of partaking in a number of schemes to safe enterprise for his legislation agency, together with work from events with enterprise earlier than the state of Illinois and town of Chicago.”
“Sadly, one of these legal conduct drastically undermines the general public’s confidence in our authorities,” Lausch mentioned continued. “Merely put, it’s not a superb factor.”
Madigan’s attorneys, Sheldon Zenner and Gil Soffer of Katten Muchin Rosenman, issued an announcement saying Madigan was by no means concerned in any legal exercise and prosecutors have overreached.
“Neither the legislation nor the information help these baseless fees, and the proof will show it. Mr. Madigan vehemently rejects the notion that he was concerned in legal exercise – earlier than, throughout or after his lengthy profession as a public servant,” the attorneys mentioned in an announcement. “The federal government’s overreach in charging him with these alleged crimes is groundless, and we intend to prevail in court docket.”
The attorneys additionally issued this assertion from Madigan himself:
“I used to be by no means concerned in any legal exercise. The federal government is making an attempt to criminalize a routine constituent service: job suggestions. That isn’t unlawful, and these different fees are equally unfounded.
“All through my 50 years as a public servant, I labored to handle the wants of my constituents, at all times preserving in thoughts the excessive requirements required and the belief the general public positioned in me.
I adamantly deny these accusations and look again proudly on my time as an elected official, serving the individuals of Illinois.”
CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov spoke with Zenner about an hour after the indictment got here down. He mentioned they’d some advance discover the indictment was pending.
Madigan was the longest-serving state Home speaker in fashionable U.S. historical past and was nicknamed the “Velvet Hammer” for his insistence on strict social gathering self-discipline. A procession of prime state politicians, together with three governors, has been charged throughout his tenure, however politicians lengthy believed the savvy Madigan would by no means be amongst them.
“We have now a really cussed public corruption drawback right here in Illinois. Rooting out and prosecuting public corruption has been and can at all times be a prime precedence of this workplace,” Lausch mentioned.
Over the previous couple of years, federal prosecutors have been drawing nearer and nearer to Madigan. Prosecutors all however named him outright in ComEd’s deferred prosecution settlement in the summertime of 2020 – during which the utility admitted to the bribery scheme that gave these jobs, cash, and contracts to Madigan associates.
Madigan resigned his seat as a state consultant in February 2021, little greater than a month after surrendering the gavel as Speaker of the Illinois Home. He additionally resigned as Illinois Democratic Celebration chairman.
Madigan misplaced his seat as Illinois Home Speaker solely after he was implicated in 2020 within the sweeping ComEd bribery scandal.
Madigan had been below fireplace for months over the bribery scandal. In July 2020, federal prosecutors accused ComEd of a yearslong bribery scheme that sought to curry Madigan’s favor in advancing laws enjoyable state regulation of ComEd’s charges by directing $1.3 million in funds to the speaker’s associates. ComEd acknowledged it stood to learn by greater than $150 million from that laws.
ComEd has entered right into a deferred prosecution settlement with the feds, and has agreed to pay a $200 million advantageous, enact numerous reforms, and cooperate with investigators in alternate for prosecutors dropping fees in 2023 if ComEd lives as much as its obligations.
In November 2020, McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd government and lobbyist John Hooker, and former lobbyist Jay Doherty had been charged with bribery conspiracy, bribery, and willfully falsifying ComEd books and data. They’ve pleaded not responsible. That adopted the September 2020 responsible plea by a former ComEd vp, Fidel Marquez.
In Could 2021, former Madigan Chief of Employees Timothy Mapes was additionally indicted on fees of creating false statements to a grand jury investigating public corruption allegations. The indictment in opposition to Mapes claimed a federal grand jury was investigating efforts by Madigan and somebody engaged on his behalf – who was not named within the indictment, however was steered to be McClain – to acquire non-public jobs, contracts, and funds for others from ComEd and to affect and reward Madigan.
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With particular regard to ComEd, the indictment accused Madigan of conspiring with McClain, Pramaggiore, Hooker, and Doherty to solicit and settle for bribes for Madigan’s affect in passing favorable laws. In addition they conspired to bypass inner controls at ComEd and its dad or mum firm, Exelon, to falsify data.
Madigan and McClain are additionally accused of conspiring with ComEd so the utility gave jobs, vendor contracts and subcontracts, and direct funds to Madigan associates who had carried out political work for him. Amongst these implicated in that allegation, although not particularly named or accused of wrongdoing, was former Ald. Frank Olivo (thirteenth).
Amongst different allegations, the indictment claimed Madigan Enterprise additionally had individuals related particularly with the thirteenth Ward positioned within the ComEd internship program, and had an affiliate appointed to the ComEd Board.
“This has been a while coming the place we’ve continued to have a look at the proof, comply with the proof the place it leads, after which in the end carry fees once we suppose we might show these fees past an inexpensive doubt,” Lausch mentioned.
The indictment additionally claims that in 2018, that Madigan agreed to just accept enterprise steered by then-Ald. Danny Solis (twenty fifth) his non-public legislation agency, and in alternate, agreed to advise then-Gov. Bruce Rauner to nominate Solis to a state board. Solis was Chairman of the Metropolis Council Committee on Zoning, Landmarks & Constructing Requirements on the time, and was working as an informant on the course of legislation enforcement – which Madigan and McClain didn’t know on the time, prosecutors mentioned.
So how did the feds lastly get Madigan? Bear in mind, he’s a person who by no means texted, or despatched emails. The indictment paperwork Solis’ involvement effectively past the state board appointment.
The indictment reveals that Ald. Solis helped within the investigation. Solis, referenced within the indictment as “Alderman A,” recorded a number of conversations with Madigan relating to a parcel of land owned by the State of Illinois within the Chinatown group – which was used as a parking zone.
In July 2017, Madigan and Solis mentioned the switch for the parcel from the state to the Metropolis of Chicago, so it may very well be transferred in flip for potential growth, the indictment mentioned.
The indictment mentioned Solis advised Madigan that if Madigan might handle the Chinatown land switch, the developer would “admire it” and would give Madigan tax work for his non-public legislation agency, the indictment mentioned.
Solis himself was being watched by the feds on the similar time he was cooperating, because it was revealed that contributors equipped him with cash, Viagra, and intercourse acts in a separate case.
Nobody has heard from or seen Solis since he cooperated with federal brokers. He’s now a key witness in opposition to Madigan.
Madigan was the longest-serving state home speaker in U.S. historical past.
As speaker, the ever-confident Madigan tended to shrug off the political scandal of the day. A spokeswoman for Madigan final 12 months denied the ComEd-related allegations and mentioned Madigan would cooperate with the investigation “which he believes will clearly reveal that he has carried out nothing legal or improper.”
That wasn’t ok for members of his Home Democratic caucus, lots of whom weren’t born when Madigan was first inaugurated in 1971. Regardless of his dedication to win a nineteenth time period as speaker in January, help peeled away and he was unable to garner the 60 votes wanted to retain the gavel. Relegated to the rank and file of the 118-member Home, he resigned his seat efficient Feb. 28, 2021, He resigned as chairman of the Democratic Celebration of Illinois on Feb. 22.
Madigan, the son of a Chicago precinct captain, turned Home speaker in 1983. He was a throwback to the type of machine politics for which Illinois was as soon as well-known.
Madigan wielded energy via stern management of his caucus and meticulous data of laws, figuring out which payments acquired hearings and which quietly died. His loyalists acquired selection legislative assignments and marketing campaign money. He managed the drawing of district boundaries after a census.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker issued the next assertion late Wednesday:
“An indictment of this magnitude is a condemnation of a system contaminated with guarantees of pay-to-play, and the period of corruption and self-dealing amongst Illinois politicians should finish. The conduct alleged on this indictment is deplorable and a stark violation of the general public’s belief. Michael Madigan should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the legislation.
“Finally, each individual in elected workplace is answerable for doing the correct factor – and never lining their very own pockets. I’m totally dedicated to eradicate the scourge of corruption from our political system, and as we speak’s indictment is a vital step in cleansing up Illinois. I’ve religion that our justice system will assist restore the general public’s belief in authorities.
“After I ran for workplace, I made clear that I’d be beholden to nobody, and that I’d serve the most effective pursuits of the individuals of Illinois. I’ve upheld that vow. For the previous three years, my administration has made clear that such abuses won’t be tolerated, and we’ve tightened our ethics legal guidelines. I’ll proceed to work with the Basic Meeting to revive the general public’s belief.”
This assertion was issued by Home Speaker Emmanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Westchester), who succeeded Madigan as speaker:
“As Chair of the Particular Investigating Committee, I made it clear that this matter wanted to be dealt with in a court docket of legislation, fully separate from the legislature. As is obvious by this federal indictment, the complete weight of the justice system was wanted to make sure all fees are investigated correctly and totally. At my course, the Workplace of the Speaker has totally cooperated with the investigation and can proceed to take action.”
Welch chaired the particular investigative committee into Madigan’s alleged wrongdoing. He later confronted criticism about how he dealt with the probe.
On Wednesday night time, he deflected.
“It’s vital to give attention to the work that this Legislature is doing below new management, and a part of my job is to get on the market and present the individuals of this nice state that it’s a new day in Springfield,” Welch mentioned.
However Madigan is the newest in a protracted record of Illinois politicians to fall to the feds, and other people could also be skeptical about it actually being a brand new day in Springfield.
Madigan’s arraignment is about for Wednesday, March 9. Zenner mentioned there was nonetheless some query as as to whether the listening to could be in individual or on Zoom.
Our request to speak to Madigan or his lawyer was denied.
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