Madigan seeks to limit evidence from prosecutors in corruption trial

(The Center Square) – Defense attorneys for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan want to limit the evidence prosecutors can bring to a jury in his upcoming federal trial.

Madigan's defense team said he would not be able to get a fair trial if prosecutors presented all the evidence they wanted to show a jury.

"With relentless pretrial publicity already undermining Madigan's right to receive a fair trial, the government now seeks to compound the problem by asking the Court's permission to admit a laundry list of inadmissible, irrelevant, and unduly prejudicial evidence," Madigan's defense team wrote in a motion filed Monday. "Allowing the government to elicit testimony about irrelevant controversial topics like gaming legislation, sexual harassment allegations in Springfield, and the so-called 'Metra scandal' will dispel any prospect of Mike Madigan receiving a fair trial."

The defense team said the prosecutors' approach was wrong.

"The government's kitchen sink approach, if this Court accepts, would result in unfair prejudice to Madigan, allowing the jury to decide this case based upon emotion, bias, and persuasive propensity inferences, and will inevitably lead to several 'mini-trials' independent of the wide-ranging allegations contained in the 117-page superseding indictment in this case," they wrote.

Madigan served in the Illinois House from 1971 to 2021, as speaker from 1983 to 1995 and again from 1997 to 2021. That made him one of the state's most powerful politicians, especially given his role as head of the Democratic party in the state. He faces 23 counts of racketeering, bribery, and official misconduct as part of a federal indictment. Madigan has pleaded not guilty.

In March 2022, Madigan and convicted former lawmaker and lobbyist Michael McClain were charged with 22 counts of racketeering and bribery for his alleged improper dealings with the state's largest utility, ComEd. Prosecutors further alleged that he used his political power to unlawfully steer business to his private law firm, Madigan & Getzendanner.

In October 2022, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment that charged Madigan and McClain with conspiracy related to an alleged corruption scheme involving AT&T Illinois.

A jury convicted McClain and three other former ComEd executives and lobbyists on multiple counts of corruption in a 2023 trial. McClain has yet to be sentenced in that case.

Madigan and McClain are set to go to trial in October.