Filings delayed in convicted ex-Illinois House speaker’s appeal

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – While former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan spends the final days of 2025 behind bars, the next filings in Madigan’s appeal of his corruption convictions are expected in late January and February.

Madigan began serving a 7.5-year prison term Oct. 13 at a minimum security prison camp in Morgantown, West Virginia. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the 83-year-old ex-speaker’s current scheduled release date is Feb. 22, 2032.

Both a U.S. District Court judge and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Madigan’s petitions to remain free pending the appeals process.

Madigan filed a notice of appeal on July 23. On Nov. 3, the ex-speaker’s attorneys filed a brief arguing that he is entitled to acquittal on all counts of his conviction.

On Dec. 23, the appellate court granted a time extension until Jan. 30, 2026, for the U.S. government’s brief in the appeals case and ordered Madigan’s reply by Feb. 20, 2026.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz requested the extension due to additional responsibilities she has taken on since Madigan’s conviction and sentencing earlier this year.

Along with Amarjeet Bhachu, Diane MacArthur and Sarah Streicker, Schwartz served as one of the lead prosecutors during the Madigan trial from October 2024 to February 2025. Bhachu and Streicker have since left the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago.

“I am responsible as supervisor and counsel for numerous district court and investigative matters,” Schwartz wrote in the government’s motion for time extension, adding that prosecutors conferred with Madigan’s counsel and “the defense does not oppose the relief sought in this motion.”

In addition to filing an appeal, Madigan petitioned President Donald Trump for pardon after completion of sentence.

The Department of Justice Office of the Pardon Attorney has taken the case under review. The Illinois’ U.S. House Republican delegation urged Trump to reject Madigan’s request.

In a Dec. 16 letter to the president, U.S. Reps. Mike Bost, Darin LaHood and Mary Miller said granting clemency in Madigan’s case “would reward a lifetime of unethical behavior and embolden other public officials to exploit their offices for personal gain.”

A federal jury convicted Madigan Feb. 12, 2025, on 10 counts of bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud and use of a facility to promote unlawful activity.

Four of the counts were related to ComEd. Prosecutors said the utility company gave no-work or little-work jobs and contract work to Madigan’s allies in exchange for the passage of state legislation to benefit ComEd.

The other six counts were related to a ruse federal investigators arranged with former Chicago alderman and cooperating witness Daniel Solis in which Madigan agreed to arrange a state board seat for Solis in exchange for real-estate law business Solis would direct to Madigan’s firm, Madigan & Getzendanner.

Morris Pasqual, then-acting United States attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, spoke to reporters at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S Courthouse in Chicago after the verdict was handed down.

“Madigan exploited his public position, seeking and accepting bribes from ComEd in a scheme involving $1.3 million in no-show work in order to put money in the pockets of Madigan’s political allies, thereby strengthening Madigan’s own personal political might,” Pasqual said.

Internal Revenue Service Special Agent-in-Charge Ramsey Covington said public corruption is not only a crime but also a direct attack on democracy.

“When officials abuse their authority, they steal opportunities, they steal fairness, and they steal the confidence that citizens bestow upon their leaders,” Covington said.

Madigan surprised many observers by taking the witness stand in his own defense.

When Madigan testified that he expected people to work when he found jobs for them, U.S. District Court Judge John Robert “Jack” Blakey allowed prosecutors to introduce a recording of Madigan and codefendant Michael McClain discussing ComEd consultant Dennis Gannon on Aug. 4, 2018.

“Some of these guys have made out like bandits, Mike,” Madigan said.

“Oh my God, for very little work,” McClain said.

“Yeah,” Madigan replied.

Prosecutors displayed the transcript of the recording during their final rebuttal on Jan. 29, after Bhachu said Madigan lied when he testified that McClain never said anything to him between 2011 and 2019 about people Madigan referred who were not working.

“These guys are not stupid,” Bhachu said of Madigan and McClain.

McClain was not convicted on any of the six counts he was charged with in the Madigan case. The former lobbyist and Illinois state representative was sentenced to two years in prison July 24 following his 2023 conviction in the related ComEd Four trial. After several delays by the court and the Bureau of Prisons, McClain was ordered to report to prison Dec. 29.

On June 13, Blakey sentenced Madigan to 90 months in prison plus 3.5 years of supervised release and ordered the ex-speaker to pay a $2.5 million fine.

Madigan, D-Chicago, served in the Illinois House from 1971 to 2021 and was speaker for all but two years from 1983 to 2021. He chaired the Democratic Party of Illinois from 1998 to 2021 and also led Chicago’s 13th Ward Democratic Organization.