Power Outage

Illinois' longest-serving House Speaker will start serving prison time for his ComEd bribery scheme

This Week In Blunders – Sept. 28-Oct. 4

“Corruption is paid for by the poor.” – Pope Francis

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Some politicians get away with blatant corruption for so long that they can suspend our belief in karma.

In 2014, investigators began looking at the shady business dealings of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, once one of the state’s most powerful Democrats.

In 2020, ComEd agreed to pay $200 million in a deferred prosecution agreement for essentially bribing him. The utility company admitted it paid Madigan allies $1.3 million for little or no work to influence legislation.

In February, Madigan was finally convicted for this ghost-job scheme.

Madigan gaveled the Illinois House of Representatives for all but two years between 1983 and 2021.

Evidence from his trial showed he has been corrupt for years.

He was also convicted for yet another crooked deal where he induced the Illinois governor to appoint then-Chicago Alderman Danny Solis to a paid state board position in exchange for Solis steering business to his tax appeal law firm.

Madigan is now 83 years old and he’s still out of prison pending appeal. But not for long.

On Friday, a federal judge ordered Madigan to begin serving his 7½-year prison sentence on Oct. 13.

“The ayes have it, and the motion is carried, I tell you.” (Comic: ChatGPT.)

Madigan has long been nicknamed “The Velvet Hammer.” But now he’s headed for the concrete slammer.