SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The stunning downward spiral of Michael Madigan’s political career ended Friday with a 7 1/2-year prison sentence and a $2.5 million fine for the former Illinois House speaker and the longest-serving legislative leader in U.S. history after he was convicted of trading legislation for the enrichment of his friends and allies.
U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey sentenced the 83-year-old in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
Nicknamed the “Velvet Hammer” for his quiet but hard-nosed style, Madigan was convicted in February on 10 of 23 counts in a remarkable corruption trial that lasted four months. The case churned through 60 witnesses and mountains of documents, photographs and taped conversations.
Federal prosecutors sought a 12 1/2-year prison term. Madigan’s attorneys wanted five years’ probation, saying he is a good man who tried to do right by taxpayers and needs to be home to care for his ailing wife, Shirley, who submitted a videotaped statement to the court requesting her husband be able to come home.
But Blakey noted that federal sentencing guidelines allowed for a term of 105 years based on findings in evidence — notably that Madigan committed perjury when he took the stand in his own defense. Blakey was particularly piqued over what he called “a nauseating display of perjury and evasion.”
20 years as chairperson of the Illinois Democratic Party, he set much of the state’s political agenda while handpicking candidates for political office. More often than not, he also controlled political mapmaking, drawing lines to favor his party.
Rules for thee, not for me. Republicans have been doing this as a whole and they get a free pass.
Republicans have been doing this as a whole and they get a free pass.
I’m still not willing to let it slide, just because its my side. Let the conviction stand.
I’m not suggesting that at all. I’m simply pointing out that it’s justice, imbalanced.
I don’t disagree with you on that point.
I am specifically because Republicans have gained their ground through doing things like this. We are in our situation currently due to the gerrymandering, lies, bribes, and bullshit. Let’s happily fight fire with fire and once we win it all make it so it could never easily happen again
Here is the flaw in your logic: If you encourage corrupt people to run for office you can’t guarantee that the people who run will actually care about their constituent’s concerns. Allowing corruption just leads to more corruption and everyone gets hurt in the process.
Oh no, I don’t want to encourage corrupt people to run for office. I just want the current officials to stop being pushovers and shove through the necessary litigation and other scripts necessary for change to happen. Democrats are sooooo fucking terrible when it comes to wanting to follow the rules that they will sabotage themselves before doing anything remotely heinous.
It’s time to stop trying to play bipartisan. As we are seeing very few Republicans want to cross the line for very few issues. What remains are the actual evil Maga Republicans and the rest who are too cowardly to do the right thing, even when you can see they want to do something. This leaves the Dems who now have a decision to make:
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Continue playing for friends and pray it works, relying completely on normal opposition to become allies.
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Play hard by holding these people in contempt and shutting them down at every opportunity and having individuals removed from offices that Trump cannot legally either vacate or place anyone in.
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Actually band together under a single, strong, well-spoken leader that the people want. For this we have a handful of choices.
What we CANNOT keep doing is playing a normal fucking game of Football while the other side plays street level Rugby with someone’s Uncle Jorge too deep in his fifth can to referee properly.
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Let’s happily fight fire with fire and once we win it all make it so it could never easily happen again
Your strategy is “to defeat the horrible enemy, we must become equally horrible as the enemy”?
That is a badly flawed argument. Gerrymandering does not turn you into a horrible monster. If the democrats were to use gerrymandering to take over a state so that they could not be voted out, and than use that position to support social programs, poverty reduction, education, infrastructure improvement, and all the other things progressives want, then they would still be the good guys.
and all the other things progressives want, then they would still be the good guys.
There’s the problem. Thats what the MAGAts tell themselves too.
Except the only ones talking about overthrowing the Government in coup attempts are the MAGA, and it took years of very careful planning to dismantle enough to get this perfect storm. Use the powers that the Republicans themselves put into place and turn the tables. Then win. Fix shit after. The cruel reality of our world is that even a hero cannot save everyone. It’s bleak and black and white and sometimes even after you make all the right choices you can still end up in a losing fight.
Gotta tip those scales.
Except the only ones talking about overthrowing the Government in coup attempts are the MAGA
Not according to them. Thats what they claim Jan 6th was about. Now, you and I both know they’re wrong, but they didn’t think so. They could use your exact words to justify what they did. Consider just how confident you are talking now about your position, your political beliefs, and what rights and freedoms you’re willing to subvert of theirs to get your way. This is exactly the MAGAt mindset. You’re this close to be a MAGAt level person with a different color hat.
That is the danger of that approach. To defeat the tyrant you want to become one.
What does overthrowing the government have to do with anything when we’re discussing corruption within the government? They’re referring to MAGAts telling themselves that Republicans being in charge means they’re going to take down “the deep state” but then nothing happens because it’s all fantasy bullshit to earn votes. Democrats are guilty of the same thing.
Cool, let it slide and then before you know it you’re supporting atrocious things like genocide because “the other side are monsters.” Imagine if that happened.
Meanwhile guys get this much and more for small time possession
Political corruption should be a capital crime.
Political corruption is one of the best reasons to eliminate the death penalty entirely.
American society has become sociopathic, and you are definitely not helping.
Nah there’s definitely a bunch of evil assholes that DESERVE to die in American politics.
You’re downvoted but you’re right.
The only thing fascists the like of the American right wing deserve is a shallow mass grave.
I agree, but I wouldn’t want to establish such a rule in the current US.
If we had a society with low corruption levels, yes. Those gifted power by the public should be held to a much higher standard. A rule like that would keep those gifted power from wielding it like a hammer. That and treason are the only real reason for a death penalty in an ideal society. But right now that would be abused.
You know what, I’m in
One less centrist who can no longer abuse his position. The party becomes better one conviction at a time.
With due process and habes corpus and due process yes
Of course. We’re not republicans.
Bro looks like dirty Harry.
