Former Speaker Mike Madigan's trial set for April 2024
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's racketeering trial has been scheduled for April 1, 2024.
Madigan's trial date was set during a status hearing Monday morning before U.S. District Judge John Blakey.
Madigan, 80, and his longtime confidant Michael McClain are facing a federal indictment charging them with racketeering, conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud, most of which carry up to 20 years in prison if they are convicted.
They are accused of a bribery scheme involving multiple businesses - including ComEd - in which the businesses paid Madigan's associates as a reward for their loyalty to Madigan. Federal prosecutors said Madigan used his various political positions as part of a long-term scheme to arrange for no-show jobs for his political workers, and personal benefits for himself.
More than a year before Madigan was indicted, ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors, admitting the company sought to influence Madigan by arranging for his allies and people who performed political work for him to obtain jobs, contracts and payments from ComEd between 2011 and 2019.
Months after the initial indictment, federal prosecutors added another charge to the case, accusing them of scheming with AT&T to arrange for a $22,500 payment to a Madigan ally in exchange for the speaker's influence over legislation that would benefit the telephone company. Former AT&T Illinois president Paul La Schiazza also has been indicted for his role in the conspiracy, and AT&T has agreed to pay a $23 million fine as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the feds.
The case against Madigan is the result of a yearslong federal investigation that also saw federal charges filed against former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd executive and lobbyist John Hooker, and former lobbyist Jay Doherty. McClain is also a defendant in that case, which is set to go to trial in March.
Their indictment accuses them of scheming to solicit and accept bribes for Madigan's influence in passing favorable legislation. They also are accused of conspiring to circumvent internal controls at ComEd and its parent company, Exelon, to falsify records.
In May 2021, former Madigan Chief of Staff Timothy Mapes was also indicted on charges of making false statements to a grand jury investigating public corruption allegations. The indictment against Mapes claimed a federal grand jury was investigating efforts by Madigan and someone working on his behalf - who was not named in the indictment, but was suggested to be McClain - to obtain private jobs, contracts, and payments for others from ComEd and to influence and reward Madigan. Mapes' trial is scheduled for August.
Former ComEd executive Fidel Marquez pleaded guilty in Sept. 2020 in a related case accusing him of helping give out jobs, contracts, and payments to allies of Madigan in an effort to influence legislation beneficial to ComEd. Marquez is cooperating with the feds, and could potentially be called as a witness at Madigan's trial.
Madigan resigned his seat as a state representative in February 2021, more than a year before his indictment, and little more than a month after surrendering the gavel as Speaker of the Illinois House amid increased scrutiny over the related federal cases. He also resigned as Illinois Democratic Party chairman.
Madigan lost his seat as Illinois House Speaker only after he was implicated in ComEd's deferred prosecution agreement. Madigan was the longest-serving state house speaker in U.S. history at the time, having been speaker since 1983.
