Capitol News Illinois reporter Hannah Meisel covered the corruption trial of ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan from the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago.
The former speaker, who left office under growing pressure related to the FBI investigation surrounding him in early 2021, faced 23 counts of racketeering, bribery, extortion and wire fraud. Jurors convicted him on 10 counts and acquitted him on seven. Six others ended in a mistrial.
Read a trial preview story here: 4 decades after rising to power and nearly 4 years since his fall, former Speaker Madigan goes to trial
For a breakdown of the jury’s verdict, read this story: Madigan guilty of bribery as split verdict punctuates ex-speaker’s fall
Find reaction from lawmakers here: Illinois lawmakers react to Madigan corruption verdict
And check out our interactive timeline here: Michael Madigan: The Rise and Fall
Prosecutors alleged Madigan used his political power and various offices – including as a partner in his law firm – as a “criminal enterprise” to protect and enhance his power while enriching himself and his allies. But his defense attorneys argued the state is trying to criminalize the political process and baseline constituent services.
The overarching racketeering charge was not one of the 10 for which he was found guilty. Jurors deadlocked on that count, resulting in a mistrial.
His co-defendant Mike McClain, a veteran Statehouse lobbyist and longtime Madigan confidant, was already convicted on public corruption charges last year in the separate but related “ComEd Four” trial. The feds again tried to show McClain was an “agent” of Madigan, while his defense attorneys said he simply engaged in legal relationship maintenance, a core function of lobbying.
Jurors deadlocked on all six counts that brought charges against both McClain and Madigan and they resulted in a mistrial.
Below is a rundown of the coverage from the courtroom in the lead-up to the jury’s Feb. 12 partial verdict.
WEEK 1: The trial begins
Monday, Oct. 21
Madigan’s approach to power at center of opening statements in his corruption trial: The jury heard Madigan’s opening statements and got a first look at a key piece of evidence that has for years been teased in legal filings. In that grainy video, Madigan meets with Chicago Ald. Danny Solis to discuss how the speaker’s property tax appeals firm could get business from an apartment development project. But Solis, the chair of Chicago City Council’s powerful zoning board, was secretly wearing a video camera. Read the story here.
Tuesday, Oct. 22
Feds ‘turned over heaven and earth’ in Madigan probe but found no real bribes, co-defendant says: It was McClain’s day for opening statements on Tuesday as he sat at a defense table for the beginning of his second corruption trial in 19 months. His defense attorneys sought to show the government had tunnel vision as a result of its yearslong investigation into Madigan and “wrongly concluded that since Mike Madigan is powerful, therefore he must be corrupt.” The jury also heard from a pair of former lawmakers who had conflicts with Madigan. Read the story here.
Wednesday, Oct. 23
ComEd exec testifies utility prepared for bankruptcy before 2011 law threw it a lifeline: McClain’s role as electric utility Commonwealth Edison’s longtime top contract lobbyist is central to the trial. On Wednesday, a ComEd executive said the company was preparing for bankruptcy in 2007 and continued in “dire” financial straits before it successfully lobbied for a 2011 law that helped make it profitable again. How that measure became law – and whether it happened legally – was the focus of Wednesday’s court proceedings. Read the story here.
Thursday, Oct. 24
‘My client is the speaker’: Jury hears wiretapped calls of Madigan co-defendant, longtime friend: The jury heard witness testimony and nearly three dozen wiretapped phone calls on Thursday. Included were calls the feds hope will bolster their argument that McClain was Madigan’s “agent” – a term McClain himself sometimes used. In another call, McClain told a colleague: “Your client is only Mike Madigan. It’s not the Democratic Party … it’s not anybody that hired you, it’s not your mom and dad. The only person you care about is Mike Madigan.” Read the story here.
WEEK 2: Focus remains on ComEd
Monday. Oct. 28
Madigan co-defendant warned ComEd CEO not to ‘provoke a reaction from our Friend’: Electric utility Commonwealth Edison was once again at the center of court proceedings as the week began. Tom O’Neill, a former top attorney for the company, testified that Madigan’s apparent interest in a contract negotiation between ComEd and a political ally was “unusual.” The jury also saw an email from McClain to ComEd’s former CEO urging her to get involved with the contract’s renewal or else “provoke a reaction from our Friend” – a nickname McClain often used for Madigan. Read the story here.
Tuesday, Oct. 29
ComEd execs joked Madigan co-defendant was ‘double agent,’ utility’s former top lawyer testifies: O’Neill continued his testimony Tuesday, noting that some at ComEd referred to McClain as a “double agent” and that it was “hard to know which client he was serving.” Even so, O’Neill said he didn’t view McClain’s practice of passing along the names of Madigan-affiliated job-seekers as bribes or even in violation of ComEd’s internal policies. Read the story here.
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Madigan co-defendant had unparalleled access to speaker, ex-top aide testifies: In the Illinois Capitol, some lobbyists make calls in quiet corners, while others might hang out in a lawmaker’s office. But no lobbyist had what McClain did: unfettered access to Madigan’s office suite. While former top staffer-turned-lobbyist Will Cousineau was on the witness stand testifying about that access, the jury heard another wiretapped call in which McClain counseled Cousineau to “remember who our real client is,” a reference to Madigan. Read the story here.
Thursday, Oct. 31
Wiretaps show McClain arranging checks for Madigan loyalist fired after #MeToo allegations: Cousineau remained on the stand through Thursday and was scheduled to return on Monday. A wiretapped call between him and McClain was central to Thursday’s testimony. In it, McClain detailed a plan to get a small group of Madigan’s allies – including Cousineau – to secretly pay $1,000 or more per month to ousted political staffer Kevin Quinn, who’d been fired after facing sexual harassment allegations. Read the story here.
WEEK 3: Star witness Marquez takes stand
Monday, Nov. 4
Jury sees more evidence surrounding payments to Madigan campaign worker ousted for sexual harassment: On Monday, the jury heard more calls from August 2018, when McClain arranged payments to former Madigan political staffer Kevin Quinn, who was ousted for sexual harassment allegations. After calling a lobbyist close to the speaker, McClain updated Madigan on the project and asked which of them should tell Quinn’s brother, Chicago Ald. Marty Quinn, about the arrangement. “Yeah, I think I ought to stay out of it,” the speaker replied. Read the story here.
Tuesday, Nov. 5
‘They were being paid as a favor to Mike Madigan’: Feds’ star witness takes stand: Tuesday marked the first day of testimony for Fidel Marquez, ComEd’s former chief lobbyist-turned-cooperating witness. Asked during direct examination about three Madigan political workers who were subcontractors to ComEd lobbyists, Marquez responded: “I didn’t expect them to do any work for ComEd as they were being paid as a favor to Mike Madigan.” Read the story here.
Wednesday, Nov. 6
ComEd lobbyist warned FBI mole to ‘keep Madigan happy’ and not mess with no-work contracts: On Wednesday, the jury saw some of the videos that Marquez secretly recorded while working with the FBI. One of them features McClain at Saputo’s, a staple restaurant in Springfield’s political circles. “I would say to you, don’t put anything in writing,” McClain counseled Marquez about the no-work contracts in between bites of pizza “… I think all that can do is hurt ya.” Read the story – and watch the video – here.
Thursday, Nov. 7
Jury sees relentless ComEd job placement requests from Madigan co-defendant: McClain pushed hard to get certain job seekers a place at ComEd, even if the candidates made “politically inappropriate” comments during an interview, failed basic screening tests or didn’t even show up to take those tests. The candidates were recommendations on behalf of Madigan, and the jury saw several emails Thursday showing McClain’s relentlessness in getting them hired. Read the story here.
WEEK 4: Marquez cross-examined
Tuesday, Nov. 12
‘This is the way things are done in Illinois’: Defense attorneys begin cross-examining star witness: ComEd exec-turned-FBI mole Fidel Marquez ultimately spent six days on this witness stand, this week taking heat from defense attorneys during cross-examination. A lawyer for McClain drilled down on Marquez’s previous testimony – and his guilty plea in 2020 for bribery conspiracy – aiming to show that there was no quid pro quo agreement between Madigan and those fielding the speaker’s job recommendations at ComEd. Read the story here.
Wednesday, Nov. 13
‘You agreed to wear wires against your ComEd family’: Star witness in Madigan trial grilled on cross-examination: The cross-examination continued Wednesday, with Marquez’s credibility in question. Earlier this year, Marquez tried to buy a gun in his new home state of Arizona, though he shouldn’t have been able to due to his felony guilty plea and pending sentencing. The defense tried to paint that as part of a pattern of dishonesty that involved selling out his “ComEd family” in an effort to save his own skin. Read the story here.
Thursday, Nov. 14
‘Make it a federal court suit’: Jurors hear wiretap of McClain describing subcontracts alleged to be bribes: Marquez’s time on the stand wrapped up Thursday, and jurors heard yet more recordings of wiretapped phone conversations. In one call between McClain and another ComEd lobbyist, Madigan’s co-defendant summed up a pair of subcontracts that the feds claim are bribes: “We had to hire these guys because Mike Madigan came to us. It’s just that simple … So if you want to make it a federal court suit, okay, but that’s how simple it is.” Read the story here.
WEEK 5: Star witness Solis takes stand
Monday, Nov. 18
Madigan jury sees ‘Magic Lobbyist List’ seized from co-defendant during FBI search: McClain’s habit of printing out emails made FBI agents’ job a bit easier on May 14, 2019, as they searched his home office, another office area in the basement featuring a wall of filing cabinets and his car in the garage. The jury this week saw several of the seized documents from a series of coordinated raids, including McClain’s “magic list” of prominent Statehouse lobbyists with close ties to Madigan. Read the story here.
Tuesday, Nov. 19
Wiretap: In pushing for Madigan-backed appointment, ex-ComEd CEO sought to ‘take good care’ of ‘our friend’: Chicago businessman Juan Ochoa, who was named to ComEd’s board after Madigan spent 1 ½ years pushing for the appointment, took the witness stand Tuesday. Jurors heard wiretaps regarding the appointment, including one of then-outgoing ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore telling McClain she set up a meeting between her replacement and Ochoa. “You take good care of me, and so does our friend, and so I will do the best I can to take care of you,” she said. Read the story here.
Wednesday, Nov. 20
Madigan ally testifies he was rewarded with no-work contracts as ‘good soldier’ for speaker: Ed Moody held several political offices by the end of his career, thanks in large part to time he spent knocking doors on Madigan’s behalf. He testified that Madigan and McClain helped him secure a $4,500 monthly contract through which he was paid indirectly by ComEd. Though he did little to no work for the utility, Moody said the payments were contingent on continuing his political work for Madigan. Read the story here.
Thursday, Nov. 21
Ex-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis, who secretly recorded Madigan for FBI, takes witness stand: As trial neared its conclusion for the week, ex-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis took the stand. The star witness had cooperated with the FBI for years and told the jury that a bribery charge against him would be dropped if he testified against Madigan. The jury also learned that Solis’ wiretapped conversations with Madigan helped make the ex-speaker a target of the investigation in 2017, a year after Solis began cooperating. Read the story here.
WEEK 6: Prosecutors conclude Solis questioning
Monday, Nov. 25
‘You shouldn’t be talking like that’: Madigan scolded alderman-turned-FBI mole for bringing up ‘quid pro quo’: Former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis spent hours on Monday testifying about embarrassing details of his life in the years before the FBI approached him in June 2016; the alderman was cheating on his wife and deep in debt, receiving favors like Viagra pills from those seeking to influence him. The jury then heard the moment the feds shifted focus to Madigan in 2017 and saw the first of several videos Solis secretly recorded as the speaker and his law partner pitched their property tax services to real estate developers. Read the story here.
Tuesday, Nov. 26
‘You know why I’m interested’: Wiretaps, secretly recorded videos show Madigan recruiting business to his law firm: The jury continued to be barraged with secretly recorded videos and wiretapped calls on Wednesday, including one in which Solis told Mike McClain that he’d been steering property tax work to Madigan from developers in his 25th Ward. Prosecutors also showed jurors video of an August 2018 meeting when Solis – at the FBI’s direction – asked Madigan for his help getting appointed to a high-paying state board seat. Read the story here.
Wednesday, Nov. 27
Madigan prosecutors conclude questioning of alderman-turned-FBI mole Danny Solis: After 14 hours on the witness stand and nearly a dozen secretly recorded videos, the government finished questioning Solis on Wednesday before trial broke early for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Before defense attorneys began their cross-examination, prosecutors played a few more videos and wiretapped phone calls, including one of Solis telling Madigan that he wasn’t going to run for city council again in 2019. Read the story here.
WEEK 7: Solis cross-examined
Monday, Dec. 2
Madigan attorney accuses Solis of not telling feds ‘all the crimes you committed’: Chicago alderman-turned-FBI mole Danny Solis returned to the witness stand Monday for cross-examination by defense attorneys who forced him to recount the embarrassing details of his life in the years the feds were investigating him, including taking bribes, deep debt, an extramarital affair and prostitutes. Read the story here.
Tuesday, Dec. 3
‘You won’t spend a day in jail’: Madigan attorney hammers Solis’ agreement with feds: In Solis’ second day on cross-examination, Madigan attorney Dan Collins went after the deal prosecutors gave to Solis that will likely see his single bribery count dropped, meaning he’ll receive no prison time and continue to collect his pension when his deferred prosecution agreement expires in April. Read the story here.
Wednesday, Dec. 4
Jurors see list of Madigan’s job recommendations given to newly elected Gov. Pritzker: Madigan’s former chief of staff Jessica Basham, who took over after the speaker’s longtime right-hand man Tim Mapes was fired over sexual harassment allegations, took the jury through recommendations Madigan gave newly elected Gov. JB Pritzker as he was staffing up his administration. Read the story here.
Thursday, Dec. 5
‘There’s something fishy here, don’t you think?’: Wiretapped calls detail Madigan confidant’s confoundment over land deal: The jury heard from Statehouse lobbyist Nancy Kimme, who went over the failed yearlong effort to get state-owned land in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood transferred to the city so that developers allied with Solis could build on it. Read the story here.
WEEK 8: Acevedo ordered to testify
Monday, Dec. 9
Prosecution could rest next week in ‘Sphinx’ Madigan’s corruption trial: The jury heard more testimony about Madigan’s efforts to recommend nearly 100 names to new Gov. JB Pritzker as his team prepared to staff his new administration. But none of the lists included Chicago alderman-turned-FBI mole Danny Solis despite the speaker’s promise to help him get appointed to a state board. Read the story here.
Tuesday, Dec. 10
Former Madigan ally ordered to testify in ex-speaker’s corruption trial: After lengthy arguments and a behind-closed-doors interview in U.S. District Judge John Blakey’s chambers on Tuesday, former state Rep. Eddie Acevedo was ordered to testify despite objections about his dementia diagnosis. Acevedo had been out of prison for two years following his tax evasion conviction and sentence related to the larger Madigan probe. Read the story here.
Wednesday, Dec. 11
Lobbyist testifies ‘loyalty’ to Madigan led him to make payments to ousted staffer: Longtime Madigan political director Tom Cullen immediately agreed with McClain’s request that he pay ousted political staffer Kevin Quinn $1,000 a month beginning in fall 2018. Cullen was just as agreeable, if less enthusiastic, about acting as an intermediary for AT&T’s payments to Acevedo the year before. Read the story here.
WEEK 9: Prosecution rests
Monday, Dec. 16
Former Madigan ally contradicts past statements after being ordered to testify: After being forced to testify despite objections over his dementia diagnosis, former state Rep. Eddie Acevedo offered sometimes confused testimony. He told prosecutors he did work in relation to a contract with AT&T Illinois that the feds claim was a bribe, contradicting past statements to the FBI and a grand jury. Read the story here.
Tuesday, Dec. 17
Feds set to rest case in Madigan trial; defense prepares to call first witnesses: Prosecutors on Tuesday tried to clean up the record on Acevedo by calling an AT&T lobbyist as a witness. Michael Lieteau, who still lobbies for AT&T, denied that Acevedo ever reported back to him about work he was doing for the company as a consultant in 2017. Read the story here.
Wednesday, Dec. 18
Prosecution rests in Madigan trial as defense calls witness dropped from feds’ list: After calling 50 witnesses over the last two months, prosecutors rested their case, followed immediately by defense attorneys calling their first witness. Read the story here.
Thursday, Dec. 19
Madigan corruption trial breaks for holidays amid defense case: The jury left for a two-week holiday break after hearing glowing testimony from a defense witness – who happens to be a sitting judge. Madigan’s team said it has more witnesses to call when court resumes on Jan. 2. Read the story here.
WEEK 10: Madigan testifies
Monday, Jan. 6
Former Madigan aide testifies speaker had conflict of interest protocols: Former attorneys in Madigan’s office testified that the speaker was hands-off when it came to negotiations on key legislation backed by ComEd and AT&T that the feds allege only advanced due to bribes in the form of jobs and contracts for Madigan allies. One of the former aides also said Madigan would never vote on the type of “land transfer” bills at issue in part of the case. Read the story here.
Tuesday, Jan. 7
Madigan to take witness stand in his corruption trial | Madigan takes witness stand, denying he traded ‘public office’ for ‘private gain’: In a stunning turn of events, Madigan took the witness stand Tuesday afternoon to testify in his own defense. The first chunk of questioning had the famously reserved Madigan getting personal. He divulged details of his life never publicly aired, including his relationship with his adopted daughter, former Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Read the story here and here.
Wednesday, Jan. 8
Jurors to hear tape of Madigan saying ComEd contractors ‘made out like bandits’: Madigan’s attorney finished questioning him on Wednesday before the former speaker sat through cross-examination from the attorney for Mike McClain. And prosecutors scored a victory as U.S. District Judge John Blakey reversed his earlier decision to bar a wiretapped phone call from trial in which Madigan and McClain laugh about ComEd contractors having “made out like bandits” for what McClain described as “for very little work.” Read the story here.
WEEK 11: Madigan cross-examined
Monday, Jan. 13
In contentious cross-examination, prosecutor accuses Madigan of not telling ‘the whole truth’: The courtroom was packed for a highly anticipated faceoff between Madigan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu, the lead prosecutor on the former speaker’s case. He and Madigan sparred over a wiretapped call prosecutors had previously been barred from playing at trial. In the 2018 recording, Madigan and McClain laugh about different ComEd contractors having “made out like bandits” for what McClain described as “very little work.” Read the story here.
Tuesday, Jan. 14
Madigan leaves witness stand expressing regret for ‘any time spent with Danny Solis’: After several hours facing blistering cross-examination, Madigan made a rare candid remark: “We all have regrets in life,” Madigan said. “And one of my regrets is that I ever had any time spent with Danny Solis.” Defense attorneys also called Madigan’s longtime law partner Vincent “Bud” Getzendanner, who testified about their firm’s strict conflict-of-interest protocols. Read the story here.
Wednesday, Jan. 15
Prosecutor goes after final defense witness as Madigan prepares to rest case: The final defense witness was a longtime speaker’s staff attorney-turned-lobbyist. Her testimony matched that of her successor and predecessor when it came to how the speaker’s office negotiated ComEd- and AT&T-backed bills. She also corroborated Getzendanner’s testimony about conflict-of-interest protocols. But prosecutors went on the attack during cross-examination, insinuating that Heather Wier Vaught’s testimony couldn’t be trusted as she’d been “loyal” to Mr. Madigan over the years. Read the story here.
Thursday, Jan. 16
Jury hears last evidence in Madigan trial as defense rests case: Madigan’s attorneys rested his case on Thursday after seven days of testimony that began shortly before the trial broke for the holidays. Prosecutors also presented a short rebuttal case, recalling an FBI agent to the witness stand for a fourth round of testimony and entering one final piece of evidence into the record. After attorneys argue about critical jury instructions after the holiday weekend, closing arguments are scheduled to begin on Wednesday. Read the story here.
WEEK 12: Closing arguments
Wednesday, Jan. 22
In closing arguments, prosecutor alleges Madigan was driven by ‘power and profit’: More than three months since opening statements began in Madigan’s trial, prosecutors finally kicked off closing statements Wednesday, accusing the former speaker of being driven by “power and profit.” Read the story here.
Thursday, Jan. 23
Prosecutor says Madigan should’ve heeded ‘wrong way’ signs but instead pursued profit: Government lawyers continued their closing arguments Thursday, claiming Madigan was fully cognizant of the alleged corrupt deals he was making with Chicago alderman-turned-FBI mole Danny Solis. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur accused the former speaker of willfully ignoring “warning signs” – including Solis’ explicit mention of a “quid pro quo” – in favor of pursuing the “Make Mike Madigan Money Plan.” Read the story here.
Friday, Jan. 24
Madigan attorney urges acquittal, accusing feds of ‘shoving misshapen puzzle pieces together’: After watching prosecutors spend more than 10 hours over three days dissecting every element of the racketeering and bribery case against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, the defense on Friday acknowledged the government’s presentation seemed “very polished.” “But it’s incomplete,” Madigan attorney Dan Collins said as he began his own closing arguments. “It’s misleading. And on the most important points, it’s false.” Read the story here.
WEEK 13: Case goes to jury
Monday, Jan. 27
‘Suspicion doesn’t cut it’: Madigan attorney urges jury to ‘see the man, not the myth’: Madigan attorney Dan Collins finished his closing arguments by accusing the FBI of exploiting Madigan’s inclination to help people by directing Chicago Ald. Danny Solis to seek Madigan’s help while secretly wearing a wire. “Make no mistake: Danny Solis is a malignant tumor at the heart of this case,” Collins said. “Solis is an actor in a stage production.” Read the story here.
Tuesday, Jan. 28
McClain lawyer calls star witnesses liars as trial nears conclusion: One day before the government began its final rebuttal, a lawyer for McClain urged the jury on Tuesday not to fill in what he called “holes” in the feds’ case with suspicion or speculation. Instead, McClain attorney Pat Cotter asked jurors to consider his client’s motivations through the lens of McClain’s decadeslong friendship with Madigan. Read the story here.
Wednesday, Jan. 29
Prosecutor calls Madigan, McClain ‘grand masters of corruption’ as case goes to jury: It was a well-known aphorism during Madigan’s record 36 years in power that while others in the state’s political realm were merely playing checkers, the longtime Democratic powerbroker was playing chess. Prosecutors used that phrase in a final attempt to make their case to convict before the case went to the jury. “Mr. Madigan and McClain are adept at making sure Mr. Madigan’s fingerprints are not left at the scene,” Prosecutor Amarjeet Bhachu said. “They’re not playing checkers. They’re playing chess. And the two of them are grand masters of corruption.” Read the story here.
VERDICT: Madigan guilty on 10 counts
Wednesday, Feb. 12
Madigan guilty of bribery as split verdict punctuates ex-speaker’s fall: Madigan was found guilty on Feb. 12 on 10 of 23 public corruption counts, including charges related to bribery conspiracy. The jury found him not guilty on seven other counts while deadlocking on six counts.
The jury did not render a verdict on the federal government’s overarching racketeering charge against Madigan and co-defendant Mike McClain, a longtime Springfield lobbyist. Jurors deadlocked on all six counts involving McClain, who was previously found guilty in 2023 in a related case. Read the story here.
