Mike Madigan trial: Defense wraps closing arguments, government to rebuttal on Wednesday


Closing arguments continued Tuesday in the high-profile federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and his one-time close political ally, Michael McClain.

The trial, which began in mid-October, centers on allegations of bribery, extortion, and racketeering involving Madigan’s influence over state and local politics.

Over the course of the trial, the jury has been presented with dozens of government exhibits—including internal emails, listened to hundreds of wiretap recordings, and heard countless hours of testimony.

Now that both defense teams have concluded their closing arguments, the jury is expected to receive the case on Wednesday, following the government’s rebuttal.

What we know:

McClain’s attorney, Patrick Cotter, spent the entire day before the jury on Tuesday giving his closing argument—challenging the prosecution’s evidence and urging jurors to avoid assumptions.

Cotter highlighted inconsistencies in testimony from the government’s star witness, former Chicago Alderman Danny Solis, and warned jurors against conflating coincidental events with causation.

"Two things happening at the same time does not mean one caused the other," Cotter said.

Cotter used an example to illustrate his point, comparing the case to a fictitious schoolboy named Johnny who gave his teacher an apple and later earned an 'A' on a test. Cotter asked, ‘did he get the grade because of the apple, or did he study for the test?’

Cotter urged jurors to examine the evidence critically.

He went on to tell the jury that the government is trying to appeal to their natural instincts to be offended by people who get paid and don't do the work, but says that doesn't mean the hiring of those individuals came as the result of bribes.

The defense maintained that while lobbying and politics might seem "distasteful" and unappealing, they are not inherently illegal.

In May 2023, McClain was convicted in the ComEd Four trial—information the jury is unaware of. 

What's next:

On Wednesday, court will resume at 9 a.m., where the jury will hear the government’s rebuttal, followed by jury instructions. They are expected to begin deliberating immediately afterwards.

Deliberations could take several days, as the jury will be tasked with examining 23 counts, ranging from racketeering to bribery, with potential implications for how Illinois politics operates moving forward.

Michael MadiganCrime and Public SafetyIllinois PoliticsChicagoNews