Afternoon Briefing: Madigan attorneys cry foul over ‘unfair’ media coverage

Good afternoon, Chicago.

Attorneys for ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan have compiled years’ worth of unflattering press about the political powerhouse in hopes that a judge will let them examine potential jurors more closely at Madigan’s racketeering trial .

“For at least the past two decades, the press coverage of Madigan has bordered on obsession,” defense attorneys for Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain wrote in a filing late Monday, calling the coverage “intense and grossly unfair.”

The filing repeatedly complained about stories by the Tribune, including the ongoing “Culture of Corruption” series examining how self-dealing has been embedded in Illinois politics for generations. The filing insinuates strongly that the series must have been timed to undermine Madigan’s case.

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