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1 month ago | 
gazettextra.com | Jason Meisner |Ray Long
CHICAGO - The Trump administration's refocusing of federal resources on immigration has landed at the Chicago office of the IRS's criminal investigation bureau, where agents accustomed to working complex financial cases are now being prepared for unprecedented special assignments to help track down undocumented immigrants, a memo obtained by the Tribune shows.
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1 month ago | 
thebrunswicknews.com | Jason Meisner |Ray Long
CHICAGO - The Trump administration's refocusing of federal resources on immigration has landed at the Chicago office of the IRS's criminal investigation bureau, where agents accustomed to working complex financial cases are now being prepared for unprecedented special assignments to help track down undocumented immigrants, a memo obtained by the Tribune shows.
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Jan 13, 2025 | 
effinghamdailynews.com | Jason Meisner |Megan Crepeau |Ray Long
The hotly anticipated cross-examination of ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan kicked off Monday with a sledgehammer of a wiretap: Audio of a 2018 phone call in which Madigan and his co-defendant Michael McClain chuckle about how some ComEd contractors “made out like bandits,” as Madigan put it, for doing very little work. “That’s you laughing, sir, isn’t it?” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu asked Madigan after playing the audio of the phone call. Madigan confirmed that yes, it was.
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Jan 13, 2025 | 
stltoday.com | Ray Long |Jason Meisner |Megan Crepeau
In the world of Illinois politics, longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan developed a reputation that people at the statehouse could count on his word. The secretive Chicago Democrat didn’t necessarily give it freely. He wanted to know every angle of an issue before saying he would embrace an idea or go all in. And he sometimes took his time before he would sign on to a budget deal or agree to back a bill.
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Jan 10, 2025 | 
news.wttw.com | Quinn Myers |Ray Long |Michael Liptrot
Week in Review: Madigan Takes the Stand; Johnson Floats a Congestion Tax Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan testifies in his own defense in his corruption and racketeering trial. Meanwhile, in Springfield a new class of state legislators take their seats. And while Mayor Brandon Johnson has a soaring wish list for state lawmakers, Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Chicago’s mayor needs to do a better job of developing relationships in Springfield to get what he wants.
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Oct 11, 2024 | 
nprillinois.org | Sean Crawford |Ray Long
Once known as The Velvet Hammer, Michael Madigan is now a defendant in federal court. His trial for racketeering and conspiracy got underway this week with the start of jury selection. The trial could last until near Christmas. The former long-serving Illinois House Speaker and political power broker is fighting numerous charges in what will be one of the most watched corruption trials in the state. Our panel also discusses some of the controversy surrounding Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
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Jun 14, 2024 | 
northernpublicradio.org | Sean Crawford |Ray Long
A once powerful alderman is awaiting his sentence. Former House Speaker Michael Madigan is set for trial this fall. Madigan's former Chief of Staff just reported for prison this week. The former president of AT& T Illinois is charged with trying to illegally influence Madigan. It's a busy time for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District. We update the cases and what impact a pending U.S. Supreme Court decision could play in some of them.
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Mar 1, 2024 | 
news.wttw.com | Ray Long |Katrina Pham |Mike Mulligan |Leigh Giangreco
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for the Chicago region, much of northern Illinois and parts of northeast Indiana, through 10 p.m. Tuesday. A sea of Chicago police officers and officials filled Judge Ursula Walowski’s fifth-floor courtroom as opening statements got underway at the Leighton Criminal Court Building Tuesday, more than two and a half years after Officer Ella French was killed.
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Oct 3, 2023 | 
substack.com | Ray Long
Ray Long Chicago Tribune investigative reporter, 40+ years govt, pols, scoops: 2X Pulitzer Finalist. Author of “The House That Madigan Built: The Record Run of Illinois' Velvet Hammer." Politics, IL Capitol, Chicago City Hall, Courts, Obama in Illinois.
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Sep 29, 2023 | 
gmtoday.com | Ray Long |Jason Meisner
The Commonwealth Edison scandal engulfing indicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is now costing its parent company, Exelon Corp., $46.2 million in penalties under a new settlement with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC charged Exelon and ComEd with fraud in the alleged scheme to influence and reward Madigan as several lucrative pieces of utility legislation passed the Democratic-dominated General Assembly from 2011 to 2019.
