The former Illinois house speaker is charged with a racketeering conspiracy and other crimes spanning five alleged schemes. While his trial is expected to begin this week, federal prosecutors have already detailed their case in a series of crucial court filings.
By Jon Seidel
Oct 7, 2024, 3:23pm CDT
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan is charged with a racketeering conspiracy and other crimes spanning five alleged schemes. The charges and the details of the 10-year FBI investigation that led to his trial have been laid out for the public in several court documents
Here, the Chicago Sun-Times provides three of the most crucial records: Madigan’s indictment, the feds’ so-called “Santiago Proffer,” and the “Solis affidavit.” The last of the three is named after former Ald. Danny Solis, and it lays out the accusations that eventually prompted him to wear a wire against Madigan and others.
Why the Madigan trial mattersMichael J. Madigan was the longest-serving state House speaker in the United States. That position made him the leader of the Illinois House of Representatives for nearly four decades, where he shepherded legislation that affected everyday life in Illinois. He also served for more than 20 years as the head of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Ultimately, he rose to become one of the most dominant politicians in Illinois since the late Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley.
What to expect in the trial
Who was caught up in the investigation
Who is Judge John Blakey?
The documents behind the caseRead all our coverage of the historic trial here.
Madigan’s indictment
This is the 117-page grand jury indictment laying out all of the feds’ accusations against Madiganand his longtime confidante Michael McClain.
It is expansive, including accusations from the earlier ComEd and AT&T Illinois bribery trials. But it also makes additional claims that Madigan squeezed business for his law firm out of developers.
Most notably, it holds that Madigan led the so-called “Madigan Enterprise” designed to enhance his power and enrich his allies. It refers to Solis as “Alderman A” and former state Rep. Edward Acevedo as “Individual FR-1.”
RELATEDMike Madigan, once Illinois’ most influential powerbroker, now faces federal corruption trial
Former House Speaker Michael Madigan indicted in political corruption probe
Madigan judge refuses to toss counts after Supreme Court ruling limited bribery law
The “Santiago Proffer”
Named after a case from the 1970s, a Santiago proffer is filed by prosecutors to establish the existence of a conspiracy and the participation of the co-conspirators.
While highly technical at times, it also serves as a roadmap to a case like Madigan’s. For example, this document details the anticipated testimony of witnesses like Solis, ex-ComEd executive Fidel Marquez and others.
RELATEDSolis secretly recorded fellow Ald. Burke to help feds in criminal investigation
Ex-Ald. Danny Solis’ secret deal with feds goes public
Danny Solis’ rise and fall, from promising activist to disgraced Chicago politician to FBI mole
The “Solis affidavit”
This is the FBI affidavit that was erroneously unsealed and later obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times in January 2019. It was originally filed May 27, 2016, days before the FBI confronted Solis with evidence of his alleged wrongdoing.
It was filed seeking a judge’s permission to search Solis’ City Hall offices and other locations, and it lays out much of the case against Solis. However, an FBI agent has since testified that the FBI chose not to execute the search warrants because, if it had, the investigation “would be known to the public.”
Then-Ald. Danny Solis talks on the phone outside of the Council Chambers at City Hall. Thursday, September 24, 2015.
Sun-Times file
SHARE
COPY LINK
NEXT UP IN USA VS. MICHAEL MADIGAN
Michael Madigan's friendship with alleged fixer could be tested during their corruption trial
David Axelrod deliberates on the case against Michael Madigan
Michael Madigan meets a few of the people who could decide his fate — just 3 jurors chosen
Woman whose sexual harassment claims rocked Springfield may be one of first witnesses in Madigan trial
Madigan judge has experience with Shakespeare, Michael Jordan — and law used to target ex-House speaker
Mike Madigan among cast of powerful characters ensnared in corruption cases playing out in Chicago
No comments:
Post a Comment