By WMBD TV
CHICAGO – The jury in trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and longtime political confidant Michael McClain arrived at a partial verdict Wednesday.
The jury said they came to an agreement on 17 counts but were deadlocked on the other 12.
“It is our belief this impasse will not be overcome,” the note said.
Around 11 a.m. the jury began to read the decision on the counts.
Madigan was found guilty on 10 count and not guilty on seven counts. The jury was deadlocked on six counts.
Count: 1: Blank
Count 2: Madigan guilty
Count 3: Madigan not guilty
Count 4: Madigan guilty
Count 5: Madigan guilty
Count 6: Madigan guilty
Count 7: Madigan not guilty
Count 8: Madigan guilty
Count 9: Madigan guilty
Count 10: Madigan guilty
Count 11: Madigan not guilty
Count 12: Madigan guilty
Count 13: Madigan guilty
Count 14: Madigan guilty
Count 15: Madigan not guilty
Count 16: Madigan not guilty
Count 17: Madigan not guilty
Count 18: Madigan not guilty
Count 19-23: Blank
For McClain, all counts have been noted as blank or deadlocked.
After the partial verdict was read, the judge told the jury their service has been commendable.
Madigan was the longtime leader of the Illinois Democratic Party who controlled everything from the slating of candidates to which bills were called for a vote in Springfield.
Madigan, 82, is accused of using his influence to run his political operation like a criminal enterprise, with the goal of preserving and gaining power and wealth for himself and his allies, in exchange for official actions. McClain, 77, is accused of helping Madigan carry those out.
Jurors have combed through months of testimony, more than 150 secret calls, videos, and arguments from all sides. They’re tasked with also weighing testimony from the ex-Speaker, who took the stand in his own defense.
Madigan has denied any allegation ComEd or AT&T Illinois tried to bribe him by offering do-nothing subcontracts to his allies in exchange for the ex-speaker’s support on key legislation in Springfield. He also testified anything McClain did, he was unaware of, in an attempt to distance himself.
After his testimony specific to the ComEd subcontracts, prosecutors got the green light to play a once-inadmissible wiretapped call between the Speaker and his former right-hand man. Blakey allowed the call to be played after prosecutors argued his testimony provided an opening for it.
“Some of these guys have made out like bandits,” Madigan told McClain, who responded, “for very little work, too.”Earlier this week: Joint defense motion denied amid jury deliberations in Madigan corruption trial
Legal experts call Madigan’s choice to testify ‘risky.’
“It hasn’t worked in the last couple years in this building and I think in this case, they caught Madigan up in a couple lies, and they only need to catch you up in one lie for your credibility to be blown,” said Pat Brady, former federal prosecutor and chairman of the Illinois Republican Party.
Both defendants deny any wrongdoing.
The trial has given a front row seat for people to get a glimpse of the way the longest serving speaker of a statehouse in U.S. history allegedly carried out his affairs behind the scenes. The man nicknamed ‘The Velvet Hammer’ operated quietly, avoided the press, and didn’t have a personal cell phone or email.
Brady said he believes the Madigan case is the “biggest breach of public trust trial” the state has seen.
