Good afternoon, Chicago.
Attorneys for Michael Madigan opened their final bid to persuade jurors of his innocence by hearkening back to a memorable nickname for the former speaker: the Sphinx.
“The Sphinx is, of course, a mythical creature,” attorney Dan Collins said today in closing arguments. “Quiet, mysterious. A myth. In this case, ladies and gentlemen, the government sees the myth. They do not see the man.”
The defense throughout Madigan’s marathon public corruption trial has tried to portray Madigan as a hardworking and humble Southwest Sider who only ever sought to help people through his role at the top of the Illinois political power structure. To reinforce the regular-guy image, Collins on Friday repeatedly referred to his client not as the speaker, not as Mr. Madigan, but as “Mike.”
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