One year after a jury convicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on ten counts, a defense attorney who worked on the case says public corruption trials are worth the time and taxpayer expense.
After a trial lasting more than four months, Madigan was found guilty of bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud and use of a facility to promote unlawful activity.
Attorney John Mitchell represented Madigan’s codefendant, Michael McClain, who was not convicted.
Mitchell said it is worth the taxpayer expense to go after public corruption, even though he felt the allegations against McClain were wrong.
University of Illinois Chicago political science Professor Evan McKenzie said the Supreme Court has made it harder to sustain corruption convictions.
Madigan is serving a 7.5-year prison sentence in West Virginia. McClain is serving two years at a federal facility in Kentucky for his conviction in the related ComEd Four trial.
Story from Illinois Radio Network
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