AT&T Illinois to pay $23M to settle corruption probe
October 14, 2022 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — AT&T Illinois has agreed to pay a $23 million fine to resolve a federal probe into its illegal efforts to influence former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who also faces new charges for his role in the scheme, prosecutors announced Friday.
‘House that Madigan Built’ covers speaker’s peak to plummet
March 20, 2022 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The state's most powerful politician once explained that while mulling a tough decision, he'd often glance across his desk at a photo of the late Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley “and just ask myself, ‘What would he do?’ It's very helpful.”
Madigan’s not on the ballot, but will loom large in election
March 3, 2022 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A stunning federal indictment this week all but ensures that one of the more prominent politicians in this fall’s election won’t be on the ballot.
Illinois’ ex-House speaker charged in $3M bribery schemes
March 3, 2022 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — Michael Madigan, the former speaker of the Illinois House and for decades one of the nation’s most powerful legislators, was charged with a nearly $3 million racketeering and bribery scheme Wednesday, becoming the most prominent politician swept up in a federal investigation of entrenched government corruption in the state.
Center of ‘rape email’ denies knowledge of alleged coverup
December 1, 2021 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The ex-campaign worker for Gov. J.B. Pritzker who is at the center of an email in which a one-time Statehouse lobbyist alleged government coverups of a rape and illegal state hiring says he's completely unaware of the purported incidents that have dogged him since the email became public last year.
Madigan’s former chief of staff pleads not guilty to perjury
May 28, 2021 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — The longtime chief of staff to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan pleaded not guilty Friday to lying under oath to a federal grand jury that was investigating a bribery scheme involving electric utility Commonwealth Edison.
Madigan’s ex-chief of staff indicted for lying to grand jury
May 27, 2021 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — The longtime chief of staff to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was indicted Wednesday for lying under oath to a federal grand jury investigating a bribery scheme involving Madigan and the state's largest electic utility, ComEd.
Madigan’s successor resigns amid ‘questionable conduct’
February 25, 2021 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The hand-picked successor to former House Speaker Michael Madigan's seat abruptly resigned Wednesday, under pressure from his sponsors, who accused him of unspecified “questionable conduct...
Ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to resign seat
February 18, 2021 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat who set much of Illinois' political agenda as House speaker for four decades before his ouster last month, resigned his seat in the Legislature on Thursday...
Illinois replaces longest-serving legislative leader in US
January 14, 2021 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois House on Wednesday elected its first Black speaker to replace the longest-serving legislative leader in modern U...
Illinois House panel ends probe of powerful Speaker Madigan
December 15, 2020 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois House committee on Monday ended its consideration of a breach of trust claim against House Speaker Michael Madigan, voting down further proceedings that could have led to discipline against the powerful Chicago Democrat.
Irked Illinois governor to Speaker: End ‘political circus’
November 19, 2020 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said taxpayers “don't deserve a political circus” on Thursday when he gave powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan a choice: Answer questions about a federal bribery investigation which implicates him, or give up the gavel after three decades of iron-grip control...
Bribery scheme implicating Madigan revives term limits talk
July 26, 2020 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — When federal prosecutors unveil a bribery scheme in the state Capitol that points a finger at the House speaker, and the speaker has been in charge for 3 1/2 decades, it's natural that some would turn to a popular but contentious solution: ...
Q&A: What charges might longest serving US speaker face?
July 24, 2020 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — Federal prosecutors recently answered the question about whether Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, the nation’s longest serving statehouse speaker, is a subject of a criminal investigation into influence peddling to benefit an energy utility...
Pritzker: Illinois speaker ‘must resign’ if allegations true
July 17, 2020 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday that Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan “must resign” if allegations of corruption are true against the fellow Democrat long considered the state’s most powerful lawmaker...
Federal judge imposes court oversight on Cook County clerk
April 18, 2020 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered court oversight for the Cook County clerk’s office after determining Clerk Karen Yarbrough has violated anti-patronage hiring rules...
Bishop bans Communion for abortion-rights supporters
June 6, 2019 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Roman Catholic bishop of Springfield on Thursday banned leaders of the Illinois General Assembly from receiving Holy Communion at local churches because of their involvement in abortion legislation approved last week...
Marijuana legalization debate shifts from ‘when’ to ‘how’
December 31, 2018 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Proposed plans for the legalization of recreational marijuana use in Illinois have shifted from "when" to "how...
Report: Elect women, change campaign culture to end abuse
September 26, 2018 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois' political parties can make a leap toward eliminating sexual harassment and bolstering gender equity by electing women to half of all political offices in the state, according to a report released Wednesday by a panel of women in state government...
The Latest: Illinois lawmakers file plans to curb harassment
October 24, 2017 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on efforts to address sexual harassment allegations in statehouses (all times local):
2:20 p.m.
Elected officials in Illinois have introduced legislation to address sexual harassment and top leaders say they're reviewing policies to "ensure no individual is a target."
Illinois House speaker faces challenger amid budget furor
March 10, 2016 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — Jason Gonzales stands out among the longshot candidates who have dared attempting to unseat powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who has handily won his southwest side Chicago district every two years for almost four decades.
Cullerton says ‘good chance’ tax plan will pass
May 5, 2014 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Senate President John Cullerton said Monday that he's confident his chamber could find the votes to extend the state's income tax increase but fears other proposals may face a tougher road this spring.
Half million Illinois voters seek gerrymander end
May 1, 2014 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — With the help of wealthy donors and a bipartisan group of politicians, a petition to end the gerrymandering of Illinois election districts was presented Thursday, but it faces a stiff constitutional challenge that could keep the question off the November ballot.
Writer loses bid seeking Ill. press box access
April 27, 2014 GMTST. LOUIS (AP) — A journalist in residence at the conservative Illinois Policy Institute has appealed a federal court's guarded dismissal of his lawsuit that claimed state legislative leaders wrongly denied him a media credential for the General Assembly.