Illinois’ Madigan Primed for High-Stakes Seventh Circuit Fight

Michael Madigan, the Illinois political heavyweight of his generation, held enormous power over state politics for decades as speaker of the state house and head of the Illinois Democratic Party. Even his public corruption trial, lasting four months, was oversized.

But his most lasting legacy could be cemented in the courtroom. Madigan is challenging his convictions at the Seventh Circuit on Thursday, posing questions that could clarify how courts draw the line between criminal acts and unsavory political wheeling-and-dealing.

It’s a perpetual question in corruption cases, one the US Supreme Court has steadily tilted toward defendants in recent years. ...