On Friday, a federal appeals court dashed the hopes of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to delay his upcoming prison term. Madigan, convicted on a raft of corruption charges including bribery, conspiracy, and fraud, sought to remain free while his appeals were considered. Instead, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tersely rejected the request with a one-page ruling that did not explain.
With the appeal bid's failure, the 83-year-old Madigan is required to turn himself in by October 13, starting his 7 ½-year sentence. Despite his team's legal maneuverings, which included arguing that a jury was "mis-instructed on key legal standards," as ABC7 Chicago detailed, his imprisonment looms. The fines hanging over Madigan are no less daunting; he's staring down the barrel of a $2.5 million fine, with three years of supervised release after his prison term, provided he serves at least 85% of his sentence – meaning Madigan will be near 90 years old before potential release.
The weight of Madigan's conviction is heavy, resting on 10 corruption counts tied to claims that he ran a criminal enterprise over several years aimed at personal enrichment and benefiting his political allies. CBS News outlines the scheme that involved alleged connivance with utility giants ComEd and AT&T; these companies supposedly offered ghost jobs to Madigan's friends in trade for legislative favors. He was also accused of pressuring property developers to retain his law firm's services, leveraging his political clout for private gain.
Reports indicate that Madigan, unfettered by the legal storm, has assembled a squad of attorneys skilled in arguing before the highest court of the land – the U.S. Supreme Court. Yet a previous request by the ex-speaker to stay out of prison was also denied by a federal judge, as ABC7 Chicago reported. As for where Madigan will serve his sentence, that detail has yet to be made clear. What is evident, however, is that the once-untouchable Illinois powerbroker's forthcomings are decidedly humbler than his past dealings – confined within the walls of a federal penitentiary.
