Springfield, ill. (AP)-The stunning political collapse of Michael Madigan is expected to culminate on Friday when the longest serving legislative leader in American history is convicted of federal bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud convictions linked to a regulation to push the legislation in exchange for jobs and contracts for his employees.
The former speaker of the Huis van Illinois was convicted in February on 10 of 23 counts in a remarkable corruption process that lasted four months. The case was running through 60 witnesses and mountains of documents, photos and recorded conversations.
Madigan will appear in the American court on Friday in Chicago, where judge John Robert Blakey will determine his punishment.
Federal Public Prosecutors are looking for a prison sentence of 12 1/2 years. Madigan's lawyers are looking for a probationary period and stated that the government's punishment would “condemn an 83-year-old man to die behind bars for crimes that did not enrich him one cent.”
During a legislative career that spanned half a century, Madigan served the longest for an American legislator for almost four decades as a speaker. Combined with more than 20 years as chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party, he put a lot of the state's political agenda while he competed for the political office. More often than not, he also controlled political card formation, whereby lines sign to favor his party.
In the meantime, said prosecutors, the Chicago -Democrat built a private legal career so that he could gather a net value of $ 40 million.
Madigan was convicted of 10 counts of bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud and other charges for guaranteeing approval of legislation that is favorable for the Giant Comed utilities in exchange for bribes and jobs and contracts for loyalists, including an alderman in Chicago who is looking for a paid pensioning of the government.
The jury stood on six counts, including an umbrella racketeering -entry, and acquitted him on seven others.
“The criminal activity of Madigan included almost a decade and was mainly rough because it was held efforts to enrich himself by maintaining his political power by protecting non-not-not jobs for his political allies and by trying to hold his own bags with legal affairs,” wrote prosecutors in a court. “Madigan served his own personal interests and not the interests of Illinoisans.”
Defense lawyers mentioned the recommended punishment of the government 'Draconian' and, given the age of Madigan, a life sentence. They asked Blakey to consider the totality of life and work of Madigan and the need to ensure his wife when applying for a five -year probation, with a year of home restriction, a requirement to fulfill services to the community and a 'reasonable fine'.
In a video submitted to the court, the wife of Madigan, Shirley, asks for a probationary period and explains that Madigan is her caregiver and that she should seek help if he is trapped. And she says, “I am part of him.”
“There are some days that I keep it up,” says Shirley Madigan on the video. “He sometimes keeps me going, but I think the impact I have on him has been much bigger.”
The court received more than 200 support letters for Madigan, many of voters, friends, leaders of non -profit organizations and other organizations that deal with the state. Some noted that he only asked him for help once. The most praised him for dedication, integrity or a personal touch.
“Mike Madigan is a good man who, selflessly, has done an exceptional amount of good for others,” his lawyers wrote in a separate application. “He is generally respected because of his dedication to honesty and integrity.”
In addition to Madigan, his former legislative colleague and old confidant, Michael McClain. The jury could not make a decision about one of the six counts against McClain. However, he was convicted in a separate process on the comed -entanglement last year.
