After guilty verdict, Mike Madigan joins culture of corruption swirling since 1980s in IL politics

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Michael Madigan is the latest Illinois politician convicted for abusing the power of their office, and he's now part of the culture of corruption that has been swirling since the 1980s.

Once called the "Velvet Hammer" for his quiet but vice-like grip on power in the legislature, Madigan has now been nailed on 10 of 27 counts of corruption by federal prosecutors.

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He joins a long line of former Illinois politicians, including former Illinois Govs. Rod Blagojevich, George Ryan, Dan Walker, Otto Kerner, former Alderman Ed Burke and many more facing prison time for their actions betraying the public trust as an office holder.

"He was arguably the most powerful man in Illinois politics. He was arguably the most careful politician in Illinois politics. The message should get out: If you can get Mike Madigan, you can get anybody," said former federal prosecutor Ron Safer, who also thinks one of the biggest wins for prosecutors is the guilty verdict on a Madigan scheme to pass beneficial legislation for ComEd in exchange for no-work jobs for his cronies. "I totally think that the emails, the conversations about board positions, about lobbyists, lobbyists being paid for positions that they did not fulfill, that is incontrovertible evidence."

Historically, Illinois has ranked as one of the most politically corrupt states in the nation.

According to data obtained by the ABC7 Chicago I-Team, since Chicago's first corruption trial in 1869, thousands of government and business officials have been convicted of public profiteering.

Illinois Gov. Blagojevich, who was found guilty of trying to sell former President Barack Obama's open U.S. Senate seat, was pardoned just this week by President Donald Trump.

Ryan was convicted of illegally selling government licenses to unqualified truck drivers for bribes.

Just over a year ago, powerful Chicago Alderman Burke was convicted on federal racketeering and bribery charges for his efforts to solicit and extort private legal work.

But even with Wednesday's verdict, Juliet Sorensen, clinical professor of law and the director of Loyola's Rule of Law Institute, said the import cannot be overemphasized.

"This is a highly significant case in Illinois anti-corruption efforts, and, indeed, in our state's history. It's hard to overstate how powerful the former speaker was over his many years of service in the Illinois legislature," Sorensen said.

But, the jury is still out on whether this verdict is significant enough to put a real damper on public corruption in Illinois.

"If the people of Illinois are looking for a path forward in terms of anti-corruption reform and good government, I would say they should speak to their legislators about a meaningful ethics reform bill that will be a preventive and proactive approach to reducing corruption in Illinois, as opposed to a criminal process, which is, as I said, inevitably, very slow and inefficient," Sorensen said.

Safer said it was absurd that Madigan's law firm could practice before the state, and, he added, "Criminal prosecutions are the worst way to enforce an ethics law, what we have to do is change the law. "

Madigan can file a motion to appeal, but only after being sentenced.

Prosecutors speaking with the I-Team said this proves prosecutors with the Northern District are very motivated to prosecute public corruption cases.