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A jury found four former Commonwealth Edison executives and lobbyists guilty of bribery-related charges Tuesday as part of an eight-year conspiracy scheme centered around former Democratic Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. In the highest-profile corruption case in Illinois in more than a decade, the jury convicted the defendants on all counts. "We're tired of political corruption," juror Amanda Schnitker Sayers said after the verdict. "We're hoping this is a first step." The Chicago veterinarian put the blame on Madigan. "He really did cause this all to happen," she said. Although Madigan wasn't on trial, the longest-serving state legislative leader in...

CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Madigan, the former speaker of the Illinois House and for decades one of the nation’s most powerful legislators, was charged with racketeering and bribery Wednesday, becoming the most prominent politician swept up in a federal investigation of entrenched government corruption in the state. Madigan, 79, is charged in the 22-count indictment with racketeering conspiracy, using interstate facilities in aid of bribery, wire fraud and attempted extortion. Madigan, who resigned from the Legislature a year ago, was the longest-serving state House speaker in modern U.S. history and was nicknamed the “Velvet Hammer” for his insistence on strict...

Tim Mapes served for years under former House Speaker Michael Madigan as the clerk of the Illinois House and as Madigan’s chief of staff. Now, Mapes has been indicted on a charge of lying to a grand jury in a federal bribery probe connected to the longtime former speaker. Last summer, federal prosecutors revealed a deferred prosecution agreement ComEd entered into where the utility admitted to paying associates of Madigan in money and jobs in order to curry favor from the then-speaker. Com-Ed agreed to pay a $200 million fine and cooperate in the investigation. Madigan has not been charged...

For decades, Illinois House speaker Michael Madigan dominated the state’s political system, corrupting it to his own ends. What should we make of his ouster? The Chicago machine turned out some of the most notorious names in American public corruption, including Anton Cermak, Richard J. Daley, and Ed Kelly. The machine also turned out Mike Madigan, who ruled over Illinois politics for 50 years, 36 of which he spent calling the shots as House speaker. Most people thought Madigan would only leave office in handcuffs or a casket. Most people were wrong. For the first time since 1970, “the Velvet...

...A former ComEd CEO was Tom Ayers, the father of Obama mentor and domestic terrorist Bill Ayers. Exelon is the parent company of ComEd and brags about being the largest energy company in the US. This firm gave heavily to the Obama campaign...In return, Obama gave Exelon numerous government contracts worth millions:

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday that Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan “must resign” if allegations of corruption are true against the fellow Democrat long considered the state’s most powerful lawmaker. “The speaker has a lot that he needs to answer for, to authorities, to investigators, and most importantly, to the people of Illinois,” Pritzker said during a stop in suburban Chicago. Former federal prosecutor Phil Turner, now a Chicago defense attorney, said it’s likely the government has pursued Madigan for years and with the ComEd allegations, found a fruitful avenue to reach him. More than half a dozen Illinois Democrats...

Federal prosecutors implicated Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on Friday in a brazen, Chicago-style bribery scheme involving ComEd that allegedly went on for years and involved payments to Madigan associates exceeding $1.3 million. Though the stunning, lengthy details were revealed in documents that charged only ComEd — and not Madigan — with bribery, they said ComEd has agreed to “fully and truthfully cooperate” with federal prosecutors. The company has agreed to pay a $200 million fine and acknowledged that it sought Madigan’s help for legislation that could be worth more than $150 million to the utility company. Madigan is not...

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on Thursday called for a portrait of the late Illinois U.S. Sen. Stephen Douglas in the Capitol’s House chamber to be removed and replaced with one of former President Barack Obama, whom he called “a more fitting representation of the modern-day Democratic Party.” Madigan also called for the removal of statues on the Illinois State Capitol grounds of both Douglas, a defender of slavery, and Pierre Menard, the first lieutenant governor and a slaveholder. The speaker’s call to take down the portrait and statues is part of a movement to remove memorials of historical figures...

DePaul University freshman David Krupa scored an impressive victory in Chicago politics on Saturday: Boss Madigan — the most powerful Democrat in Illinois — backed out of a challenge to Krupa’s candidacy for alderman in the Southwest Side’s 13th Ward. “I am truly humbled to be the first candidate on the ballot to challenge the 13th Ward since 1991,” Krupa, 19, told me at the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners offices. A few political guys mumbled privately that Madigan must be so angry that he might as well fill a burlap bag of the severed heads of a few of...

State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray says she is receiving warnings from lawmakers and unions that a “no” vote on his leadership bid will lead to retaliation.

Speaker Michael Madigan’s undisputed political power came under attack Tuesday amid new criticism over his handling of harassment complaints as the March Democratic primary increasingly turns into a referendum on his leadership. Madigan faced increasing calls for him to step down from the state Democratic chairman post he has held for two decades, as well as demands for an independent investigation of complaints that have led him to shed two top loyal political lieutenants in a week. The misconduct scandal comes as the long-serving speaker and his private interests as a property tax appeals lawyer already had been a focal...

The popular Powerball lottery and Mega Millions games will drop Illinois at the end of June without a budget agreement, Illinois Lottery officials said Thursday. Concern over the state’s fiscal condition prompted the Multi-State Lottery Association to drop Powerball in Illinois, according to internal Illinois Lottery communications obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times. Mega Millions also plans to drop the state unless a budget agreement comes together, state officials confirmed. Without a budget in place, the state isn’t authorized to make payments to Mega Millions or the association. Those decisions were reached at national lottery meetings held this week, Illinois Lottery...

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Democrats went all-in Thursday with their election-year class warfare theme as Speaker Michael Madigan pitched the idea of asking voters to raise taxes on millionaires, Senate President John Cullerton advanced a minimum-wage increase and Gov. Pat Quinn compared wealthy opponent Bruce Rauner to TV villain Mr. Burns. The moves continued a Democratic push to highlight income inequity that started Tuesday night before Rauner had even claimed his narrow victory in the Republican primary for governor. Rauner and Republican legislative leaders have countered by accusing Democrats of being tax happy and trying to drive a wedge between the...

This worked so well for France that Belgium had a real estate boom with the new tax on millionaires was announced. And New Jersey learned that millionaires have a tendency to leave when confronted with higher taxes. But Illinois? Well, per Michael Madigan, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, Illinois is different: “Well, if they’re in Illinois today, they’re probably so much in love with Illinois that they’re not going to leave,” he said, according to the Tribune–a backhanded acknowledgement of how poorly the state is already doing.Madigan may also be encouraged by California’s example, where millionaires have largely...

A former Chicago-area executive is blowing the whistle in the latest case to showcase what is derisively known as the "Illinois way" -- politicians' practice of doing business by dishing out favors to friends who contribute generously to their campaigns. This time, a top-ranking Democrat has been implicated. The case involves Illinois' most powerful Democratic leader -- state House Speaker Michael Madigan -- and the former head of the Chicago area's commuter rail service, Metra. In a rare move earlier this week, Metra's ex-CEO Alex Clifford came forward publicly to reveal specific details about how he says he was forced...

An Illinois lawmaker from Chicago charged with bribery a week ago appeared on his way to a primary election victory tonight on Chicago's West Side. Rookie state Rep. Rep. Derrick Smith was accused of taking a $7,000 cash bribe in a federal sting caught on an undercover recording. But Democratic leaders showed no sign of backing away from him in the days before the election. Smith's opponent, Tom Swiss, a former ranking member of the Cook County Republican Party, conceeded he lost the race less than an hour after polls closed tonight. With more than half the unofficial vote totals...

Paul Mckinley from the south side of Chicago inspires the crowd at a Tea Party in Bloomington, Illinois. He says he no longer has any use for the democrats and gives great reasons as why. A good video to spread around. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwMAJeA284s&feature=autofb

House Speaker Michael Madigan is circulating a memo to legislative candidates spelling out how they can discuss whether Gov. Rod Blagojevich should be impeached - with talking points that compare corruption under the governor to a tumor that must be removed. The 14-page rundown of Blagojevich's alleged "misdeeds and malfeasance" is sure to deepen the feud between the two Democrats and lend substance to talk of impeachment. A memo sent to some House Democratic candidates, obtained Tuesday by the Associated Press, offers detailed talking points on the merits of impeachment. "One thing we learned from the (imprisoned former Republican Gov.)...

Who won, lost in budget game July 31, 2004 BY THOMAS ROESER When the spring legislative session dawned, Big Daddy decided he would have to take The Kid in hand (ahem). It was only right: House Speaker Michael Madigan had served in the General Assembly since 1971, the governor (The Kid) had a few years of legislative service under his belt, sitting on the remotest back bench in Madigan's caucus. Also, all other legislative leaders were new or untried: Tom Cross, in his first term as GOP House leader; Democrat Emil Jones had never been Senate president; Frank Watson was...