Ray Long

3 days ago | chicagotribune.com | Jason Meisner |Ray Long

A parade of witnesses in Michael Madigan’s recent corruption trial — including Madigan himself — insisted there were airtight protocols in place to avoid any potential conflicts of interest between the powerful Democratic House speaker’s public duties and his private job as a property tax attorney.

1 week ago | chicagotribune.com | Jason Meisner |Ray Long

Calling former House Speaker Michael Madigan “steeped in corruption,” federal prosecutors on Friday asked for a whopping 12 1/2-year prison term and $1.5 million fine for Madigan’s conviction nearly four months ago on bribery and other conspiracy charges. “The crimes charged and proven at trial demonstrate that Madigan engaged in corrupt activity at the highest level of state government for nearly a decade,” prosecutors wrote in their 72-page memo.

1 week ago | chicagotribune.com | Ray Long

State legislators who are also lawyers in Illinois are getting a new perk, courtesy of the state Supreme Court. They just need to show up for work in the Illinois General Assembly and they’ll be able to collect credit toward satisfying continuing education classes required to keep their law licenses in good standing. The new benefit came about from a little-noticed change in Supreme Court rules, a move encouraged and endorsed by multiple lawmakers. It took effect Jan.

3 weeks ago | thederrick.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.

3 weeks ago | chicagotribune.com | Jason Meisner |Ray Long

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.