Jon Seidel

Defense attorneys are pointing to a Feb. 10 executive order from President Donald Trump pausing enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The president’s order says the law’s use has been “stretched beyond proper bounds and abused in a manner that harms the interests of the United States.”

The decade-long FBI investigation that led to Madigan’s trial roiled local politics and changed the course of Illinois history. The feds summoned 50 witnesses to a 12th-floor courtroom in their bid to prove Madigan and Michael McClain guilty of “corruption at the highest levels of state government.”

Madigan and his longtime ally, Michael McClain, are on trial for a racketeering conspiracy. Jurors are expected to resume deliberations Monday morning.

The arguments follow 11 weeks of testimony in which jurors heard from 63 witnesses. Most notable among them was Michael Madigan himself. He testified for nearly 12 hours over four days earlier this month. His co-defendant, Michael McClain, opted not to testify.

A Chicago Sun-Times review found 43 of the 53 defendants from Illinois had been convicted and sentenced. President Donald Trump pardoned or ordered cases dropped against everyone charged in the insurrection.

One of Illinois’ most powerful politicians is on trial. Get caught up on the critical points.

Prosecutors have begun to firm up one of the key pillars of their case, alleging Michael Madigan accepted bribes from ComEd in exchange for favorable treatment of the utility’s bills in Springfield.

The week began with Michael Madigan’s attorneys insisting no one had the right to speak for the speaker — that Madigan was “ignorant” of what people said behind his back. His chief ally, Michael McClain, is on trial with him.

An attorney for Michael Madigan’s longtime friend and confidant Michael McClain, who is on trial with him, told jurors there is no evidence of an intention to exchange a favor for something else.

The opening statements kick off the trial of the longest-serving state House speaker in the country, and one of the most powerful politicians in Illinois history. The FBI has pursued Madigan for more than a decade, and the probe forced him from power in 2021.