Afternoon Briefing: Madigan attorneys cry foul over ‘unfair’ media coverage

Good afternoon, Chicago.

Attorneys for ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan have compiled years’ worth of unflattering press about the political powerhouse in hopes that a judge will let them examine potential jurors more closely at Madigan’s racketeering trial.

“For at least the past two decades, the press coverage of Madigan has bordered on obsession,” defense attorneys for Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain wrote in a filing late Monday, calling the coverage “intense and grossly unfair.”

The filing repeatedly complained about stories by the Tribune, including the ongoing “Culture of Corruption” series examining how self-dealing has been embedded in Illinois politics for generations. The filing insinuates strongly that the series must have been timed to undermine Madigan’s case.

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