During Mike Madigan’s 50 years in the Illinois General Assembly, he raised tens of millions of dollars from campaign supporters. Contributions to Madigan’s millions continued even after he resigned in 2021. NBC Chicago’s Chuck Goudie reports.
During Mike Madigan's 50 years in the Illinois General Assembly, he raised tens of millions of dollars from campaign supporters. Contributions to Madigan's millions continued even after he resigned in 2021.
Millions of dollars were deposited in the accounts of various political committees under Madigan’s control during his record-setting tenure as an Illinois state representative and speaker of the House. Two active campaign funds remain, totaling at least $8 million, money that Madigan may need for more than just the prison commissary.
As Madigan, 82, walked from the federal courthouse on Wednesday after being convicted in a split verdict of bribery, conspiracy and fraud, the clock was running on his legal defense bill -- a tab that already had drained millions from campaign money he'd raised from donors -- with contributions continuing to flow in even during his four-month federal trial and at a time when Madigan wasn't running for anything.
According to state election records, within a few days after Madigan was indicted by a U.S. grand jury in 2022, he withdrew $4 million and paid the renown Chicago law firm of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, which would deploy a team of attorneys and staffers to defend him at trial.
That money was on top of many more millions reportedly paid to cover lawyers bills for him and his aides during the long federal investigation that preceded charges.
All of those payments are legal under Illinois law, but they shouldn't be, according to several political and election reform groups.
"It's bad policy to allow corrupt politicians to use funds that were legally raised for the purpose of supporting a campaign to instead defend them personally against corruption charges," said David Melton, president and chairman of Reform for Illinois, described as "a nonpartisan research and advocacy organization that empowers the public to participate in government, addresses the role of money in politics, and promotes integrity, accountability, and transparency in our political system" on its website.
Melton said state officials, including the Illinois attorney general, should "commence an action to at least seize the remainder of any funds in Michael Madigan's accounts as well as any funds still in any political accounts for Ed Burke or anyone else confound to have been convicted of corruption violations under Illinois under the relevant provisions of the Illinois law."
Former 14th Ward Chicago Ald. Ed Burke was convicted in an unrelated corruption case in December 2023 and had a similar large campaign fund that bankrolled his criminal defense.
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Burke is serving a two-year prison sentence. Madigan's sentencing date has not been set, but the government is expected to ask for a prison term of more than two years, according to legal experts and analysts.
"Using [campaign funds] to defend yourself when they're guilty of corruption is not deemed to be reasonably related to regular or ordinary services of an elected representative," Melton told NBC 5 Investigates. "If they're defending against, say, a frivolous lawsuit and they get it dismissed, then that may be a proper use of funds. But if they're convicted of public corruption, then that's not a proper use of the funds."
Officials at Katten, the Chicago law firm representing Madigan, on Thursday "declined comment on a client's financial arrangement."
Attorneys familiar with criminal defense cases say Madigan should now expect to receive a bill from his attorneys for work they did during trial -- that could have to be paid before a prosecution forfeiture hearing in federal court scheduled in late May -- so that the money couldn't be touched by the government.
Following the Madigan conviction, Common Cause, Change Illinois and Reform for Illinois made a public plea for "meaningful ethics reform" aimed at preventing a similar abuse of power. Officials of the three organizations said that Madigan's conviction alone is "nowhere near enough to restore public trust and strengthen our democracy. Our laws and our politicians enabled Madigan's decades-long reign, and this verdict just underscores the need for broad, systemic change in Illinois."
New Illinois ethics laws enacted in 2021, after Madigan’s arrest, were "full of loopholes," according to the watchdog groups.
Following the Madigan conviction they have renewed calls for political campaign reform focused on tighter fundraising reporting rules, stronger conflict of interest controls for politicians and empowering the legislative inspector general to initiate independent investigations.
Ethics groups are also demanding additional lobbying reforms and regulations. on lobbying and more stringent "revolving door rules" that would regulate how long elected officials must remain on the sideline before going into private industry.
