He was once the most powerful democrat in the state, serving 36 years as House Speaker of Illinois. Now, Michael Madigan begins his seven and a half year sentence after being convicted of bribery, conspiracy, fraud and other corruption charges.
Madigan, 83, will begin his 7.5-year sentence and has been ordered to pay a $2.5 million fine. The Ex-Speaker and his longtime confidant Michael McClain were accused of running a bribery scheme tied to the utility company ComEd.
A judge denied his request to stay out of prison while appealing his conviction. He's required to serve at least 85% of his sentence, making Madigan about 90 before eligible for release.