Madigan responds to Sun-Times story
Tuesday, Jan 29, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
“To my knowledge, I am not under investigation by the office of the U.S. attorney, and I have not been contacted by the U.S. attorney relative to Dan Solis,” Madigan said in a statement. […]
An attorney for Madigan said that to their knowledge neither the speaker nor his law firm is under investigation.
“The speaker recalls attending several meetings with Ald. Solis over the past five years, including meetings with individuals in need of legal representation,” Heather Weir Vaught, a private attorney for the speaker, said in a written statement. “If indeed, some of his conversations were being recorded, the speaker did not know that, but he has no concern if they were. The speaker has no recollection of ever suggesting that he would take official action for a private law firm client or potential client.”
Discuss.
…Adding… Pretty restrained…
* Related…
* Is this Chinatown hotel plan focus of Madigan FBI recording?: Crain’s could not immediately confirm that the project is the one in question in the Madigan recording, but a photo of the site published by the Sun-Times matches the nondescript. 5,530-square-foot piece of land owned by the Chong venture. The timing of the project also lines up with the report, as the Chicago City Council approved new zoning for the site in September 2014, public records show. The hotel was never built, though the Chong venture—a company formally known as Sheng Man De Investment—still owns the land, Cook County property records show.
- Huh - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 12:52 pm:
Relative to Dan Solis,….?
- lakeside - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 12:54 pm:
I feel fairly confident that the Speaker has protected himself thoroughly over the years (I guess we’ll see), but, as this all goes down, he should be careful not to put out statements that are a little too cute. We all know how this works, buddy.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 12:55 pm:
Heather Weir Vaught, a private attorney for the speaker.
Seems like he is being intelligent about this whole thing.
- Billy Joel - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 12:55 pm:
Some people hope for a miracle cure
Some people just accept the world as it is
But I’m not willing to lay down and die
Because I am an innocent man
I am an innocent man
Oh yes I am
An innocent man…
- njt - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 12:56 pm:
US SC agrees with Medigan:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_v._United_States
- Chris Widger - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 12:56 pm:
==Relative to Dan Solis,….?==
I think he just meant “with respect to” or “regarding.”
- njt - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 12:57 pm:
Madigan’, apologies for the typo
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 12:59 pm:
Madigan. Rodeo. Not his first.
“Now… we wait”
- lake county democrat - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 12:59 pm:
I mean we all believed him when he said he had nothing to do with Michael Kasper’s challenges to redistricting, why shouldn’t we believe him now?
- Blue Dog Dem - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 1:02 pm:
I wonder if Lisa is heading up the defense team.
- Gogo Yubari - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 1:14 pm:
The Speaker’s office does not accept Fed Ex or UPS; MJM operates on the extreme end of cautious.
- Chicago 20 - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 1:16 pm:
If the Feds had something we would have heard it.
- low level - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 1:20 pm:
There was and currently are no official actions could do for a developer. Development is handled by local authorities throughout Illinois and the US
- Stuntman Bob's Brother - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 1:36 pm:
So it would be better to wait to buy the case of champagne?
- Get me Roger Stone - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 1:39 pm:
Feds don’t send you official notice you are under investigation or need to contact you. Ask Roger Stone.
On a side note, if the Feds arrest Madigan the way they did with Roger Stone, that would be amazing.
- pool boy - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 1:47 pm:
I have no recollection and I don’t take notes. Oh wait, you have a recording. That’s not my voice.
- Duopoly - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 2:02 pm:
=On a side note, if the Feds arrest Madigan the way they did with Roger Stone, that would be amazing.=
In response to your dumb note, did Madigan ever threaten armed secession against the USA like Roger Stone?
- Huh? - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 2:12 pm:
I know I was eating lunch at 12:52, so how did I post? Must have been the doppelganger again.
- chuddery - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 2:20 pm:
=Get me Roger Stone=
You’re showing your ignorance. Take a few plays off.
- Ginhouse Tommy - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 2:22 pm:
OW is correct. This is not his first rodeo. I don’t like him but you have to give him credit for building up the machine that he has. He’s too smart and cautious to get caught to doing something stupid like getting a kickback. Let it play itself out. We wait.
- Leslie K - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 2:33 pm:
So far, meh. The wire at that point was being worn against Solis, not by Solis against Madigan. And, from what we know at this point, Madigan wasn’t saying anything incriminating. I’m not denying there could be more to come, but so far–not seeing anything as it relates to Madigan.
- Mad Again - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 2:59 pm:
“The speaker has no recollection of ever suggesting that he would take official action for a private law firm client or potential client.”
That’s some serious linguistic contortion…
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 3:12 pm:
Haters gonna hate
- "Old Timer Dem" - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 3:22 pm:
Solis agreed to wear a wire for the Feds because he is in trouble. Simple as that. The Feds asked him to record Burke and Madigan. To use an analogy, throw the line in the water and see if the fish are biting. It looks like Burke was biting but Madigan wasn’t. If the Feds had anything on Madigan surely they would have raided his offices just like they did Burke’s.
- Mod Dem - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 3:22 pm:
Sometimes we ask too much of our leaders in terms of providing an ethical compass…but in this case…Although I am sure Speaker Madigan did not do anything legally wrong…it would be nice if he would not perpetuate the narrative of corruption by doing Property Tax work.
- @misterjayem - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 3:29 pm:
Waaaaaaaaaaay too early for intelligent folks to make any intelligent predictions one way or the other.
The likely outcome is still the most likely outcome — but we shouldn’t forget how many unthinkable things have happened in just the last few weeks.
tl;dr- And now we wait.
– MrJM
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 4:24 pm:
==it would be nice if he would not perpetuate the narrative of corruption by doing Property Tax work.==
Doing property tax work is corrupt? How so? Property tax assessment is done by the county, property tax laws are local. Being in the general assembly one works on state laws.
- steve - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 4:43 pm:
- “Old Timer Dem” -
You could right given the date of the conservation , or there could be other information.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 4:51 pm:
Are we finally near the end of Madigan?
- RNUG - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 5:44 pm:
== Are we finally near the end of Madigan? ==
Don’t think so. Based on what has been reported, he stayed on the legal side of a fuzzy line.
- anony - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 7:30 pm:
@”Old Timer Dem”
You have no idea how a federal investigation like this works, assuming the feds tie one person up and then just go fishing is a Trumpian understanding of corruption investigation. Also, these reports aren’t based on the Solis wire, they are based on a whistle blowing (and presumably wire wearing) developer. The Feds got Solis after/as a result.
- Union Thug Gramma - Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 10:48 pm:
Can I see Madigan talking to this prospective client? Yes. BUT speaking to someone about becoming a client and actually doing quid pro quo are different animals. I’ve spoken to Mr. Madigan on many different occasions. Let’s just say, he keeps all close to the vest.