Madigan Federal Corruption Trial: What You Need To Know

Jury selection in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois House speaker Michael Madigan continues this week. Madigan was long known as the “velvet hammer” for his subtle but powerful grip on state politics. He was the longest-serving speaker in American history, a position he held for 36 years under seven Illinois governors. In March 2022, he was indicted on 22 counts of racketeering and bribery charges for “allegedly using his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. Reset discusses with Chicago Sun-Times federal courts reporter Jon Seidel what you need to know to follow WBEZ and Sun-Times reporting on the trial as it unfolds. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.