Both current and former Illinois legislators are applauding last week’s guilty verdict in the corruption case against former House Speaker Michael Madigan. Now there are calls for additional changes in laws in an attempt to change the state’s lengthy history of political chicanery.
On Feb. 12, a federal jury found Madigan guilty of 10 criminal counts including bribery, wire fraud, and conspiracy. Following two weeks of deliberations after a trial that began last October, the jury acquitted on seven other charges and did not come to a verdict on other counts, including racketeering conspiracy.
With the verdict, Madigan joins a list of many other high-profile Illinois politicians convicted for illegal behavior.
Madigan, who first became Speaker in 1983, started to lose his grip on power several years ago as some scandals reached his office.
In 2020, Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) was one of 19 Democrats to vote against Madigan as he sought re-election to Speaker. He subsequently stepped back from being Speaker and later resigned from the House.
Today, Gabel is the majority leader in the House.
“I felt vindicated and there were secrets Madigan hid from us (his colleagues) that he was doing and we didn’t know about,” Gabel said after the verdict’s announcement. “When some of those things came to light it was clear to me we no longer wanted him to lead us.”
Laura Fine (D-Glenview) served in the Illinois House from 2013 to 2019 under Madigan, before being elected to the State Senate.
Fine voiced a feeling of frustration about the situation.
“There are so many of us who are doing this job for all of the right reasons and it is very frustrating when somebody is in it for themselves and not for the greater good. It makes our job that much harder which is unfortunate,” she said.
State Rep. Marty McLaughlin (R-Barrington) did not serve in the House when Madigan was Speaker but was interested enough in the case that he attended Madigan’s trial one day last fall.
“It was eye-opening to be at the trial and it was disappointing to hear some of the testimony,” he said.
He added, “As a legislator, we should be spending more time on solving problems and less time on backroom deals and phone calls and helping friends out,” he said. “We are supposed to be helping out constituents in the state, we are not supposed to be helping out specific people for inappropriate reasons.”
State Sen. Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) thought justice was served.
“I think people were angry that this kind of corruption went on in the state and there was no accountability,” Morrison said. “This is a live demonstration that you can’t do that.”
Finally, two former state lawmakers remembered their time when Madigan was speaker.
“Mike Madigan had an insatiable desire for power and control,” noted Susan Garrett (D- Lake Forest), who served in the State House from 1998 to 2002. “Over the decades he was able to assume more power than any politician in Illinois history. Ironically, his quest to keep that power turned out to be his tragic flaw.”
Former State Sen. Kathleen Parker (Northbrook) represented her constituents in Springfield from 1995 to 2003. She recalled what she witnessed from Madigan in the other chamber.
“Madigan was always in control of the legislators,” she said in a statement. “He got so powerful. He felt he was immune to scrutiny. It’s unfortunate and should be a lesson to all career politicians.”
While Madigan was convicted on 10 of the bribery-related charges, the jury deadlocked on the racketeering charges at the conclusion of the lengthy trial. That did not surprise Gabel.
“I thought racketeering is another whole level,” Gabel said. “The RICO laws from my understanding are more complicated.”
McLaughlin pointed to the complex nature of the racketeering laws.
“It makes sense to me that something as complex and convoluted to me what was taking place would be difficult to wrap your head around,” McLaughlin said. “I have some sympathy for those jurors who were going through the process.”
With the conviction, some of the elected officials hoped efforts would be made to prevent this type of behavior.
“It has to lead to change. This can’t keep happening,” Fine said. “My guess is we are going to look into this and dig deep and figure out what other states are doing to prevent this type of behavior from happening and how can we make sure we put that in place in Illinois.”
McLaughlin called for new ethics laws with “some teeth.”
“I would love to see stronger rules about separation of authorities amongst not only legislators but those who are lobbyists and consultants,” he said. “You have your institutionalized Springfield politicians who only do stuff in the traditional way and I actually think it is time to get away from the traditional way because the traditions of Illinois have been nothing but corruption and failure for the taxpayers and businesses of the state.”
Morrison said work has already started in reform believing an ethics package passed in Springfield a couple of years, was a “really good step in the right direction.”
Gabel added the state does not need to start all over again in light of the Madigan verdict.
“It is not like we didn’t have laws, he broke the laws,” she said.
Gabel added the legislature has now enacted term limits on legislative leaders and appointed a new legislative inspector general.
Still, she thought the House’s Ethics Committee might look to make other changes.
“We will be looking to see if there are other things we can do to deal with this issue,” Gabel said.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
