Appellate Court Hears Arguments on Michael Madigan's Bribery Conviction Appeal
The 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals recently heard arguments regarding the appeal of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's conviction on corruption charges. Madigan's attorney, Amy Saharia, argued that the conviction should be overturned due to a lack of evidence showing Madigan's agreement to a bribery conspiracy with ComEd. Saharia contended that the benefits Madigan allegedly received were not typical of bribery cases, as he did not receive direct payments or gifts. Instead, the alleged benefit was the hiring of political allies by ComEd. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz countered that the jury had sufficient evidence to find Madigan guilty of quid-pro-quo bribery. The hearing, which lasted 45 minutes, was attended by notable figures, including Madigan's daughter, former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. The three-judge panel, consisting of Judges Frank Easterbrook, Michael Scudder, and Nancy Maldonado, will issue a ruling at a later date. 
