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By ANDREW ADAMS and HANNAH MEISEL
Capitol News Illinois 
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“The Velvet Hammer.” “Sphinx.” “King of Illinois.” “The Wizard of Oz.” “The Real Governor of Illinois.” “Himself.” 

Michael Madigan was called all of these names and more during his five-decade career in public office. During that time, he became one of the most powerful men in Illinois history. 

He holds the record for the longest-serving legislative leader in any state or Congress, earned a national reputation for reshaping state and national politics by drawing and redrawing Illinois’ legislative maps, and personally oversaw every major piece of legislation in Illinois for almost forty years. 

Now, he faces accusations of running a yearslong racketeering ring involving multiple bribery schemes. Federal prosecutors allege he used his position to bolster his own power in addition to enriching himself and his allies through job recommendations and no-work contracts at companies seeking to curry his favor. But he denies any wrongdoing. A jury now holds his fate in its hands. 

Who is Madigan? How did he amass his power? What did he accomplish at the highest levels of state politics and government over his years in office? Scroll to learn more about the man at the center of one of the most high-profile corruption cases in Illinois history.

This timeline was last updated on Feb. 12, 2025. It will be updated as the federal case against Michael Madigan continues. 

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide, as well as hundreds of radio and TV stations. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.