UPDATED: Madigan, Attorneys Issue Statement Following Indictment
Former House Speaker Michael Madigan responded to a federal indictment for the first time Thursday.
Former House Speaker Michael Madigan and his attorneys issued statements Thursday following his federal indictment on corruption charges.
It’s the first public reaction from the nearly 80-year-old Speaker since charges were brought Wednesday.
His attorneys, Sheldon Zenner and Gil Soffer, call the charges “baseless.”
“Neither the law nor the facts support these baseless charges, and the evidence will prove it,” they said in the prepared statement. “Mr. Madigan vehemently rejects the notion that he was involved in criminal activity- before, during or after his long career as a public servant. The government’s overreach in charging him with these alleged crimes is groundless, and we intend to prevail in court.”
Madigan also issued a statement denying any wrongdoing.
“I was never involved in any criminal activity. The government is attempting to criminalize a routine constituent service: job recommendations. That is not illegal, and these other charges are equally unfounded,” he said. “Throughout my 50 years as a public servant, I worked to address the needs of my constituents, always keeping in mind the high standards required and the trust the public placed in me. I adamantly deny these accusations and look back proudly on my time as an elected official, serving the people of Illinois.”
No arraignment date has been set.
UPDATE (4:38 P.M.):
A statement from co-defendant Mike McClain’s attorney Patrick Cotter:
“The Indictment filed [Wednesday] against Mike McClain by the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois is noteworthy in that it is based on many of the same acts that were included in a previous Indictment filed against him in November of 2020. The Government simply repackages these allegations under new theories of wrongdoing.
Added to this legal sleight of hand, the Government now, for the first time, seeks more than $2 million dollars in forfeiture from Mike McClain.
For years, the Government has been trying to force Mike McClain to cooperate in its quest against former Speaker Mike Madigan. These latest charges are nothing more than the Government’s continued attempt to pressure Mike McClain to do the Government’s bidding.
Mike McClain was innocent of the charges when they were first filed in November of 2020. He remains innocent of the recycled and new charges in this latest Indictment. He will never testify falsely about himself or anyone, no matter how many indictments are brought against him. We will fight to prove his innocence.
The Government should always seek to justice – to carry out its mission reasonably, equitably, and responsibly. Sadly, it failed to do so [Wednesday].”
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