Chicago City Wire

Former House Speaker Michael Madigan allegedly confirms "very little work" from people involved in ComEd—insiders who got wealthy off of machine politics. 

The line was released by prosecutors in the filing leading up to an April trial. 

"Some of these guys have made out like bandits," Madigan allegedly said during a conversation with an associate detailing a $150,00 contract, Patch reported. 

Madigan, who represented the 22nd District on Chicago's southwest side from 1971 to 2021 is facing 23 counts of corruption in alleged bribery schemes in which his targets – ComEd and At&T – have both pleaded guilty to paying bribes for preferential treatment. ComEd paid a $200 million fine for its involvement. 

Despite being stripped of his leadership position in the General Assembly and the Democratic party leadership, Madigan was reportedly active in the last election cycle while under indictment. 

John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, was heading the prosecution effort but will be resigning before the case goes to trial. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of Illinois in a press release said Madigan was indicted “earlier this year on racketeering and bribery charges for allegedly using his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates.” Madigan was accused of seeking personal financial rewards. “The initial indictment also charged Madigan with engaging in multiple schemes to reap the benefits of legal work unlawfully steered to his private law firm,” the press release reads.

Mitchell Armentrout reported in the Chicago Sun-Times that Madigan’s statement is one that goes down in infamy along the lines of former governor and ex-con Rod Blagojevich’s “it’s f——- golden” statement regarding his ability to appoint anyone to Barack Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat after he was elected president. Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in jail but was later pardoned and released by former president Donald Trump. “A lot of Chicago's most corrupt leaders didn't go to jail," Ald. Dick Simpson the author of “Corrupt Illinois” said, according to Armentrout. "But they probably should have.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker was also infamously caught on tape strategizing with Blagojevich, WTTW reported. The conversation was one of a series in which Pritzker schemed with Blagojevich on an appointment to public office. 

Pritzker was caught on tape by the FBI discussing with Blagojevich which Black candidates were “least offensive” before discussing then-Secretary of State Jesse White. The two also joked about former president Barack Obama’s mixed-race background. "You can argue he's, you know, he's got a lot in common with Obama, he's black and white. Ha. How stupid is that?" Blagojevich said. Pritzker can be heard chuckling on the audio. "That's good," Pritzker said, praising Blagojevich for the racial joke. "That's good.” He also is heard reassuring Blagojevich, “You don’t have to put an African-American in that spot” if he were to appoint Jesse White.