Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was caught on tape angling for property tax business for his personal law firm from a developer hoping to build a Chinatown hotel.
The powerful Chicago Democrat is the latest public official ensnared in FBI investigations that so far have led to criminal charges against Alderman Ed Burke (14th) and lurid revelations about Alderman Danny Solis (25th), according to documents obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The documents show Solis brought the developer to meet with Madigan at his private law offices in 2014, and the speaker was recorded by an associate of the developer who was secretly working with the FBI. During the meeting Madigan talked about his firm’s property-tax-appeal business and said he was interested “in a long-term relationship” with the developer, according to the Sun-Times.
Solis was later heard telling the associate that the developer would get “anything he needs” for the hotel if works with Madigan.
The documents said Solis agreed to back the Chinatown project after the developer said he would hire Madigan’s firm. Despite winning City Council approval, the project was never built, and there was no record of the developer actually hiring Madigan’s firm.
Madigan’s attorney denied any wrongdoing to the Sun-Times and said “to our knowledge, neither the speaker nor his law firm is under investigation.” [Chicago Sun-Times] — John O’Brien