CHICAGO – Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison on Friday. He was in Chicago federal court after he was found guilty in February to bribery and other corruption counts. Federal prosecutors had asked for a 12-and-a-half year prison sentence. He will also face three years probation after serving his time and will have to pay a $2.5 million fine.
Madigan said before sentencing that he was truly sorry for putting the people of Illinois through this, claiming he did the best he could, and that he wasn’t perfect.
Madigan was the longest-serving state House leader in U.S. history, spending 36 years as speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives.