The three Republican members of the Illinois congressional delegation are asking President Donald Trump to deny former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s request for a pardon, writing that it “would send a dangerous message that public officials can betray the public trust with impunity.”
U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood, Mary Miller and Mike Bost, staunch Trump allies, penned the request on Tuesday. Madigan has filed a clemency petition with the Justice Department seeking a pardon.
“Granting clemency in this case would not only reward a lifetime of unethical behavior but also embolden other public officials to exploit their offices for personal gain,” the three wrote. “For these reasons, we respectfully urge you to deny any request for a presidential pardon from Michael Madigan.”
The delegation also writes that Madigan’s actions “harmed the people of our state and undermined their trust in their government.”
Madigan, 83, was the longest-serving House speaker before his conviction on bribery conspiracy, wire fraud and other charges after a corruption investigation revealed two schemes. ComEd paid Madigan allies to remain in Madigan’s good graces, and then-Ald. Danny Solis helped land private business for Madigan’s tax appeal law firm in exchange for a position on a state board.
Madigan was convicted in February and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison in June, one of the harshest public corruption sentences Chicago has seen in years. He has been in a West Virginia minimum-security federal prison camp since October. He has appealed his conviction, but the appellate court denied his request to walk free while the appeal progresses.
Madigan’s request is routine — but the former Democratic leader has been critical of Trump. During brief opening remarks before a state delegation meeting during the virtual Democratic National Convention in 2020, Madigan accused Trump of “deliberate efforts in fanning the flames of hatred and racial and ethnic division for his own political purposes.”
Madigan previously said he was staying on as the Illinois Democratic Party chair “to lead the effort to defeat Donald Trump” and expand the Illinois congressional delegation.
Though it’s unclear whether Trump would pardon Madigan, he has issued a flurry of pardons, including for former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted on political corruption charges in 2011 and sentenced to 14 years in prison. Trump commuted Blagojevich’s sentence in 2020 before pardoning him earlier this year.