Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan has begun serving his 7½-year federal prison sentence on corruption charges, marking the fall of one of the most powerful figures in Illinois political history. Madigan, 83, reported Monday to the federal prison camp in Morgantown, West Virginia, a minimum-security facility nearly 600 miles from his longtime political base in Chicago. The move comes after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals denied his request to remain free while he appeals his conviction. He is now registered as federal inmate number 90368-509.
The former speaker’s sentence follows his February conviction on multiple counts of public corruption, including bribery and racketeering, after a four-month trial that exposed decades of political influence and backroom deals. Madigan’s political career spanned 50 years in the Illinois legislature, including 35 years as House Speaker — the longest tenure of any lawmaker in state history. He was a defining force in Illinois politics for generations, shaping budgets, legislation, and political fortunes across both parties.
When his sentence concludes, Madigan will be nearly 90 years old.
The Morgantown facility, located near West Virginia University, has housed other disgraced public officials, though none with the same longevity or influence as Madigan.
His legal team, which includes a group of high-profile appellate attorneys, continues to work toward overturning the conviction, but for now, Madigan’s decades-long political era has officially come to an end.
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