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* Hap tip to Hannah Meisel for the press release…
Statement from Sheldon Zenner and Gil Soffer, Katten attorneys for Michael Madigan
Neither the law nor the facts support these baseless charges, and the evidence will prove it. Mr. Madigan vehemently rejects the notion that he was involved in criminal activity- before, during or after his long career as a public servant. The government’s overreach in charging him with these alleged crimes is groundless, and we intend to prevail in court.
Statement from Mr. Madigan
I was never involved in any criminal activity. The government is attempting to criminalize a routine constituent service: job recommendations. That is not illegal, and these other charges are equally unfounded. Throughout my 50 years as a public servant, I worked to address the needs of my constituents, always keeping in mind the high standards required and the trust the public placed in me. I adamantly deny these accusations and look back proudly on my time as an elected official, serving the people of Illinois.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 9:45 am
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I want to hear the din din din of a hammer pounding Madigan until he goes away, for good. Every lying statement he makes should be an extra lashing.
Comment by allknowingmasterofraccoondom Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 9:47 am
=I was never involved in any criminal activity…always keeping in mind the high standards required and the trust the public placed in me=
Let’s see what the solis Wiretaps reveal.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 9:53 am
He’s actually going to say this is just a matter of “job recommendations”? amazing. My sympathy for an 80 year old man being sentenced to prison is starting to diminish with this nonsense. If he’s going to go the Blago route and never take any responsibility for his actions, then his 50 years at a public servant mean little to nothing.
Comment by Baloneymous Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 9:54 am
‘Fast Eddie’ Vrdolyak’s early release motion from federal prison was denied. Perhaps he and MJM can spend some quality time together in the near future
Comment by Donnie Elgin Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 9:58 am
Was Danny Solis a constituent?
Comment by well... Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 10:03 am
I have to wonder if Madigan doesn’t have the same problem that got George Ryan … the business as usual rules changed but he didn’t manage to change with the times.
Comment by RNUG Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 10:05 am
Job recommendations probably aren’t illegal. Making deals that gets people jobs with high pay for doing no work is illegal.
Comment by The Velvet Frog Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 10:10 am
RNUG—I had the same thought.
Madigan was interacting with his most trusted buddies. Buddies who know the score. If I do a constituent favor for you, wink, and you decide on your own to do a favor for me, wink, then that’s just fine.
Hold the bill in committee, until we can figure out a good amendment. Old-fashioned legislating. Much more subtle than fetcher bills. Or a fundraiser for the chairman the morning before a bill is heard in committee.
Comment by Langhorne Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 10:17 am
=If he’s going to go the Blago route and never take any responsibility for his actions, then his 50 years at a public servant mean little to nothing.=
The word “servant” should never be used to describe this man
Comment by George Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 10:17 am
Might be time for Michael Madigan to borrow Vincent Gigante’s bathrobe and slippers.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 10:38 am
@- RNUG - Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 10:05 am:
I have to wonder if Madigan doesn’t have the same problem that got George Ryan … the business as usual rules changed but he didn’t manage to change with the times.
I think what got George Ryan was his changing all inmates on death row to life in prison. That action outraged prosecutors, judges, police, feds, and others involved in these cases. They looked for anything to get him on, and they did.
Comment by DuPage Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 11:00 am
@RUNG - I’ve wondered too. The fed’s are only talking about a 10 year window here.
So did Madigan only start 10 years ago, was way more careful before 10 years ago, have guys around him who were also way more careful?
Who got sloppy? Was it a new generation of people to work with that saw Madigan do it for decades before and figure they were just untouchable too?
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 11:07 am
“That action outraged prosecutors, judges……”
Candidly, I thought the events and investigations around Operation Safe Road started well before Ryan left office. The commutations were granted just two days before Ryan left the governor’s mansion.
Comment by Downstate Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 11:11 am
==So did Madigan only start 10 years ago==
Perhaps it has something to do with the statute of limitations? Or everyone else involved has long since assumed room temperature.
Comment by SumDood75 Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 11:14 am
@DuPage And, as an aside, Ryan reversed those sentences in a hideous way: putting the victims’ relatives through a process where they had to give excrutiatingly painful testimony, then ignoring them (to the extent he didn’t have his mind made up from the outset) and announcing his decision at a law school appearance where the fawning students applauded him.
Comment by lake county democrat Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 11:18 am
I would bet the Ryan commutations we’re intended to help him with the jury he knew he would be facing soon.
Comment by Drake Mallard Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 11:30 am
For me, Madigan and his way(s) became outdated, sure, but what was amazing for me, along with Burke, that both men had a trust to them, even to the “marks” that those involved knew the score, may or even may not liked it, but continued anyway, but where Burke and Madigan part ways, yes, MJM profited, but Madigan used the leverage (alleged criminal action per the indictment) to advance careers, infiltrate legitimate corporate chains with no-show jobs, (expecting that to be acceptable too), and using rewards to keep all in check.
Madigan got sloppy as the operation just got too big and too over encompassing to keep it just “friends of ours”… and corporate ways versus Capo Regimes rarely see things in the same prism.
It got too big and too over encompassing to continue?
Maybe.
But the days of the ward boss getting the brother in law a job with the city or a company doing business “wit da city” are now gone, and were gone for “97%” of everyone else quite a while ago.
The reason Madigan’s ward office fascinates the “younger” political types was its rarity and longevity… it stood out like a sore thumb, not hidden to do its business… it became what it tried not to be… a big ole flashing light for scrutiny.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 11:33 am
It is clear that the relationship between the legislature and the state of Illinois at large is in need of repair as a result of Madigan’s tenure as speaker, regardless of the result of the trial. We need reasonable legislative term limits (I propose 18 years) that don’t embolden special interests, redistricting reform (I really like the system they have going in ohio that limits how many times counties can be split and requires cities like Cincinnati and Cleveland be in one district), and we need to have special elections to replace vacancies in offices paid with a taxpayer funded salary. Don’t forget how much of a circus the process to replace Madigan was, not saying this is a negative mark against Guerrero-Cuellar, but the appointment process was a disaster.
Comment by Lake Villa Township Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 11:33 am
===(I really like the system they have going in ohio that limits how many times counties can be split and requires cities like Cincinnati and Cleveland be in one district)===
This is bad for democracy, as it allows land to have a greater voice than voters…
Term limits… we have them… elections.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 11:36 am
@OW Tell that to the ghost candidates that kept popping up in Madigan’s elections.
Comment by Lake Villa Township Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 11:40 am
Ohio has some of the worst gerrymandering in the country. And the newer maps are much worse than the previous ones, which were bad already. Ohio is a perfect example of the opposite of redistricting reform.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/redistricting-2022-maps/ohio/
Comment by The Velvet Frog Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 11:43 am
===Tell that to …===
Sure, Jan.
I’ll tell it to Danny Burke.
Anything else.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 11:44 am
===requires cities like Cincinnati and Cleveland be in one district===
That’s particularly handy if you’re trying to pack as many protected minorities as possible into one area.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 11:56 am
==Term limits… we have them… elections==
Even when those elections are controlled by illegal activities and coercion, we have elections.
Comment by Vote Quimby Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 12:02 pm
Saw Blago commenting on the indictments. It creates a new definition for chutzpah.
Comment by Trapped in the 'burbs Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 12:35 pm
Doesn’t seem remotely fair to compare George Ryan to Madigan. The corruption outlined in the Madigan indictment is much more entrenched. Granted no one died due to Madigan’s actions but for the millions of Illinois Com Ed customers who got fleeced- Madigan’s actions are beyond anything Ryan was accused of
Comment by Sue Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 12:37 pm
@Rich I think that cracking is a much bigger problem than packing, there are currently 2 gop congressmen from cincy, certainly there are concerns about minority representation with such a law inherently but when black voters in cleveland aren’t packed with black voters in akron as is the case in last decade’s map I think it’s a positive.
Comment by Lake Villa Township Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 12:41 pm
===I think===
Yeah, that’s why the VRA exists… so “tradeoffs” to what is apparently a diluting of voter representation isn’t “ok”
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 12:45 pm
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh/pr/federal-grand-jury-indicts-ohio-house-speaker-enterprise-federal-public-corruption#:~:text=COLUMBUS%2C%20Ohio%20%E2%80%93%20A%20federal%20grand,July%2029%20and%20filed%20today.
Yeah, let’s be more like Ohio. Oh wait….
Comment by CG Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 1:53 pm
The voters voted in favor of the referendum not the legislature… Also the maps repeatedly struck down by the legislature are being struck down in part because they violate the contents of the enacted referendum.
Comment by Lake Villa Township Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 2:28 pm
===Also the maps repeatedly struck down by the legislature are being struck down in part because they violate the contents of the enacted referendum.===
Any part include the VRA?
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 2:38 pm
Didn’t most of the wrongdoing that resulted in charges against George Ryan take place before he was governor? That’s my recollection at least…
Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 3:54 pm
“Any part include the VRA?”
I’m sorry, what? Is Ohio exempt from the Voting Rights Act or something? Whatever you are vaguely implying here is as clear as mud.
Comment by Jack Kemp Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 4:08 pm
===Is Ohio exempt from the Voting Rights Act or something?===
Just askin’ as this discussion about the Ohio map and all these problems to it even existing, just wonderin’ aloud to this whole partisan requirement… if that’s all cool… how can one be upset with Illinois’ maps?
See, Illinois, a judge said the maps were at least within VRA parameters, so if Ohio maps are still “strugglin’”, what can be says now about… Illinois?
I know, clear as mud, Illinois maps… Ohio maps…
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 4:18 pm
== Doesn’t seem remotely fair to compare George Ryan to Madigan. The corruption outlined in the Madigan indictment is much more entrenched.==.
Surely you jest. Every driver’s license manager under Ryan had to raise a certain amount of money for each of good ole’ George’s fundraisers, not to mention other regulated entities they forced to contribute.
Comment by low level Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 8:45 pm
At least I kept my mouth shut. Interesting timeline of Sean Murray - Tabares, who was dismissed from the Madigan enterprise and then the Feds started indicting… Silvana has distanced herself from Madigan and worst she remained silent for Alaina, very disappointing to women everywhere.
Comment by Ghost of KQ (Kevin Quinn) Thursday, Mar 3, 22 @ 9:45 pm
Surprised he didn’t hire Sam Adam Jr.
Comment by Just Me 2 Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 12:00 am
If the feds really want to make a difference in cleaning up Illinois, they’ll move to trial as quickly as possible and make sure that if there is a plea bargain jail time has to be involved. For people to understand what’s going on here, he needs to do time. They need to throw his 80-year-old butt in jail so other people can see what’s coming for them if they keep this up.
Comment by Out of Illinois Friday, Mar 4, 22 @ 5:15 am