Peoria Standard

Ryan Spain, representative for Illinois' 73rd House District, commented on the trial verdict of former House Speaker Michael Madigan. "Lawmakers must remain steadfast in our work to expose ethical loopholes that have eroded public trust," he said on Facebook on February 14.

"The verdict doubles down on what House Republican lawmakers have known for some time: the culture of corruption that has poisoned our statehouse must come to an end," said Spain, State Representative, according to Facebook. "Lawmakers must remain steadfast in our work to expose ethical loopholes that have eroded public trust. The time is now for honest, transparent government, one families across our state can rely on."

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Madigan's conviction in a news release on February 12. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled, but Madigan could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and up to 10 years for each bribery count. He could also face a maximum sentence of five years for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. According to the release, Madigan was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the U.S., four counts of using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity, three counts of wire fraud, and two counts of bribery.

Screenshot of State Representative Ryan Spain's Feb. 14 Facebook post | State Representative Ryan Spain's Facebook page

According to The Center Square, the Illinois Policy Institute is urging Madigan to return pension payments to the state. Madigan, who retired in 2021, has received nearly $600,000 in pension payments. The Illinois Policy Institute argues that under state law, he is required to repay the funds.

A report from Capitol News Illinois details the verdict in Madigan's federal trial for corruption, bribery, and conspiracy. After 65 hours of deliberation over two weeks and nearly four months of trial, the jury found Madigan guilty on 10 of 23 counts. The jury deadlocked on six charges and acquitted him on seven others. He was convicted on three separate bribery counts, wire fraud, and Travel Act violations. One of the deadlocked charges was a racketeering count, with the others related to corruption.

Spain has served the people of the 73rd House District since 2017. A lifelong Peoria resident, he holds degrees in political science and speech communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as well as an MBA from Bradley University. His service record includes time on the Peoria City Council from 2007 until fall 2016.