Former Illinois House Speaker Madigan guilty of bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was convicted of using his office to run an illegal enterprise. Madigan was the longest-serving legislative leader in U.S. history.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was found guilty on 10 counts of bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud. Madigan ran an illegal enterprise through his office.

Madigan’s conviction makes him ineligible under state law to receive any pension benefits from the General Assembly Retirement System, including any funds he has already received.

The trial revolved around five schemes that Madigan and his longtime associate, Michael McClain, worked in tandem on an “enterprise” through which Madigan used his power as speaker to reward political allies and penalize opponents.

One was when Madigan helped AT&T on legislation in 2017 in exchange for the utility paying state Rep. Eddie Acevedo $22,500 for a job where he did no work. Madigan was the longest-serving legislative leader in U.S. history.

Madigan may be out of the Statehouse, but the rules he created that gave him unchallenged power remain. Here’s how lawmakers should curb that power in the future.  

• End the revolving door of lawmaker to lobbyist. Prohibit lawmakers from acting as lobbyists while they’re in office and establish a two-year limit between retiring as a lawmaker and becoming a lobbyist.
• Require better financial disclosure and voting recusal for conflicts of interest. Mandate lawmakers to provide detailed statements of economic interests and to recuse themselves from voting in the case of a conflict of interest, with real penalties for violating this rule.
• Empower the legislative inspector general. Allow the office to serve as a watchdog able to issue subpoenas on its own initiative and publish findings of wrongdoing.
• Enact true fair maps. Adopt a redistricting process that places map-making power with an independent redistricting commission and removes it from the hands of lawmakers who stand to benefit from drawing their own districts in their favor.
• Reform the House Rules. Right-size the speaker’s legislative power so one political office does not have the power in the General Assembly to determine when or even whether a bill is called for a vote.

By implementing these reforms, lawmakers can make a clean break from the Madigan dynasty. Concentrating so much power in the hands of one person is the opposite of democracy.