East Central Reporter

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan was found guilty on 10 out of 23 charges, with the jury deadlocked on the remaining counts. The verdict includes convictions for bribery, wire fraud, and conspiracy related to his legislative duties over a decade.

The charges are linked to legislation involving ComEd. In July 2020, ComEd admitted to a bribery scheme connected to Madigan's trial and agreed to pay a $200 million fine as part of their settlement in the investigation.

State Representative Brad Halbrook responded to the verdict: "I want to thank the jury for their thorough examination of the evidence and the decision they came to in this historic and important case. For those of us who served under Michael Madigan and understood his power, this verdict was a foregone conclusion. Every Democrat in the statehouse knew, or should have known, that the ComEd deal was corrupt. Considering this verdict, Democrats should be willing to strengthen ethics laws in the state and change the operating rules of the House so that control of legislation is shared and more transparent."