Federal prosecutors on Wednesday unveiled a 22-count indictment against the all-powerful Speaker of the Illinois House, Michael Madigan, accusing him of racketeering, bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud and extortion.
How did Madigan, the longest-serving Statehouse Speaker in American history who chaired the Democratic Party of Illinois as well as the 13th Ward Democratic Organization, end up here?
The wider investigation began at least eight years ago, when federal investigators first targeted the then 25th Ward Eld in 2014. Danny Solis in a corruption investigation that will eventually trap both 14th Ward Elds. Ed Burke and eventually Madigan.
Here is a timeline of the events that followed and the individuals who were charged as the Fed closed in:
November 29, 2018: FBI agents raid Burke's Southwest Side ward and the offices of the finance committee he chaired.
December 13, 2018: Burke's City Hall office is raided.
January 13, 2019: Burke was charged with attempted extortion for his law firm for "corruptly soliciting business".
May 2019: The Fed raids the homes of former 23rd Ward Eld. Mike Zalevsky and longtime Madigan confidant Mike McClain, who served with Madigan in the House and later worked extensively on the investigation.
May 30, 2019: A grand jury charges Burke of racketeering and bribery to extort money from businesses to work for his law firm. Burke's 14th Ward employee Peter Andrews and real estate developer Charles Cui were also charged.
June 26, 2019: Players raid the home of Kevin Quinn, 13th Ward Eld. Marty Quinn's brother and Madigan ally, who was publicly kicked out of the political organization a year earlier over sexual assault allegations.
September 24, 2019: Investigators raid the office of State Sen. Martin Sandoval, with search warrants for items belonging to ComAd, parent company Exelon and others.
January 28, 2020: Sandoval - after resigning from office earlier in the month - pleaded guilty to bribery and tax offenses, after agreeing to cooperate with federal prosecutors in a wider investigation.
March 11, 2020: Chinatown developer Si Wong, who was later revealed to be secretly recording Solis and Madigan, was charged with wire fraud.
July 17, 2020: In a massive development, ComEd agreed to $200 million in fines as part of a deferred prosecution agreement that the utility giant admitted to a bribery scheme involving allies of Madigan - that filing referred to in the U.S. simply as "Public Official A". ,
November 18, 2020: McClain, two of ComEd's executives - Anne Pramagiore and John Hooker, as well as lobbyist Jay Doherty - are charged with bribery and falsification of records.
December 5, 2020: In the midst of his collaboration deal, Sandoval dies of complications related to COVID-19.
January 13, 2021: As the Fed closes, Madigan's iron grip on the House begins to crumble and she is ousted as speaker by members of her own caucus.
February 18, 2021: Madigan announces her resignation from the House.
February 22, 2021: Madigan resigns as chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
February 24, 2021: Strengthening prosecutors' case, Madigan lieutenant and former state representative Eddie Acevedo and his two sons were indicted on federal tax charges.
March 31, 2021: Former State Sen. Annazette Collins, who previously served in the House with Madigan, is also indicted.
May 26, 2021: Former Madigan Chief of Staff Tim Mapes, who also served as executive director of the state Democratic Party under Madigan but was ousted from both roles in 2018 over allegations of sexual harassment and bullying , he was charged with perjury and attempted murder. obstruction of justice. Prosecutors said he knowingly made false statements to testify before a grand jury on the Madigan and Comede investigation.
In all, more than a dozen people were indicted as prosecutors on Wednesday made their way closer and closer to the indictment of the man they believed the Fed would never get.
Madigan denied any wrongdoing in the case, saying in a statement Wednesday, "I was never involved in any criminal activity. The government is attempting to criminalize a regular constituent service: job recommendations. This Not illegal, and these other allegations are equally baseless."
Campaign finance records show his political funds have paid the law firm more than $4 million in the case over the past two years. Some of the charges against him carry a maximum prison sentence of up to 20 years.