A federal judge on Friday denied bond for ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan pending his appeal on corruption charges, a decision that was widely expected and means Madigan will have to report to prison in October — at least as it stands now.
Madigan’s attorneys had argued in a filing in July that he should remain free for a number of reasons, including that he’s not a flight risk and that there are complex legal issues which, if resolved in his favor, will require a new trial.
In his 44-page opinion released Friday, however, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey said his evidentiary rulings and jury instructions were legally sound, and that Madigan’s attorneys had failed to reach the “nearly insurmountable” legal hurdles required to win an appeal bond.
“Frankly, Madigan does not come close to meeting this high burden,” the judge said.
The ruling, while expected, sets the stage for a similar effort to keep Madigan out of jail while his appeal is pending before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which could take a year or more to unfold. Madigan’s opening appellate brief is not due until Oct. 2.
After a trial that stretched nearly four months, Madigan was convicted by a jury Feb. 12 on bribery conspiracy and other corruption charges. The jury found him guilty on 10 of 23 counts, including a multipronged scheme to accept and solicit payments from ComEd to Madigan associates for do-nothing subcontracts.
Madigan also was convicted on six out of seven counts — including wire fraud and Travel Act violations — regarding a plan to get then-Chicago Ald. Daniel Solis, who testified at length in the trial, appointed to a state board.
The jury acquitted Madigan of several other schemes alleged in the indictment and deadlocked on other counts, including the overarching racketeering charge.
Blakey sentenced Madigan in June to 7 1/2 years in prison, saying Madigan’s crimes represented “abuse of power at the highest level” and were aggravated by the fact that Madigan had every advantage in life, including a privileged education and a thriving law practice.
The judge also found that Madigan lied repeatedly and willfully when testifying in his own defense during the trial. Blakey called it “a nauseating display of perjury and evasion” that was “hard to watch.”
Blakey ordered Madigan to report to prison by Oct. 13.
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