House Speaker Michael Madigan and Rep. Chris Welch
House Speaker Michael Madigan and Rep. Chris Welch
House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) hit up fellow lawmakers for contributions to cover his mounting legal costs and state Rep. Chris Welch (D-Hillside) came through to the tune of $57,800 earlier this month.
Over a two-day span, Friends of Michael Madigan and the 13th Ward Democratic Organization -- campaign funds controlled by Madigan -- received $603,000 from 10 state representatives and a Chicago City Council member.
All but one donor gave $57,800, the maximum currently allowed by the Illinois Board of Elections.
That money will go toward replacing the $453,608 in contributions that Madigan has spent on paying his lawyers this year.
Legal trouble has been mounting for the House Speaker, who is also the Illinois Democratic Party chairman, ever since a court affidavit was unsealed in January that revealed a secret recording in which Madigan tries to solicit business for his private law firm from a developer brought to him by then-25th Ward Ald. Danny Solis. At the time, Solis was considering a request by the developer to build a hotel in Chinatown.
Federal investigators said in the affidavit that they believed Solis had “agreed to take action in his official capacity as an Alderman for private benefits directed to Michael Madigan.”
Although no charges have been filed against Madigan, the affidavit also revealed Madigan has been in the FBI’s crosshairs for years.
In addition, Madigan is embroiled in two federal civil suits.
Welch, who nominated Madigan as Speaker of the Illinois House, was recently named the chairman of the powerful House Executive Committee.
Of the $57,800 that he donated, $50,000 came from the Illinois Education Association’s PAC, IPACE; and $7,500 from SEIU Healthcare Illinois PAC on July 3.
Welch donated the money to the 13th Ward Democratic Organization, which then transferred it to the Friends of Michael Madigan fund.
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Covering Michael Madigan’s Legal Costs
| Contributor | Date | Amount |
| State Rep. Kelly Burke (D-Evergreen Park) | July 18 | $25,000 |
| State. Rep. Larry Walsh, Jr. (D-Joliet) | July 18 | $57,800 |
| State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Belleville) | July 18 | $57,800 |
| State. Rep. Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) | July 18 | $57,800 |
| State Rep. Gregory Harris (D-Chicago) | July 16 | $57,800 |
| State Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-Chicago) | July 16 | $57,800 |
| State Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin) | July 16 | $57,800 |
| Chicago City Council Member Silvana Tabares | July 16 | $57,800 |
| State Rep. Chris Welch (D-Hillside) | July 16 | $57,800 |
| State Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-Addison) | July 16 | $57,800 |
| State Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside) | July 16 | $57,800 |
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