Sangamon Sun

Sally Turner, a senator for Illinois State Senate District 44, commented on the recent verdict of Michael Madigan. "His conviction is a positive step toward restoring public trust; however, real and meaningful reform is still needed," she said in a Facebook post on February 12.

"For decades, former Speaker Madigan represented a broken political system that prioritized power over the public good," said Turner, State Senator, according to Facebook. "His conviction is a positive step toward restoring public trust, however, real and meaningful reform is still needed to ensure future accountability and to prevent this kind of corruption from happening again."

According to Capitol News Illinois, former House Speaker Michael Madigan was found guilty in his federal trial for corruption, bribery, and conspiracy. The jury reached its decision after 65 hours of deliberation over two weeks following a nearly four-month trial. Madigan was convicted on 10 out of 23 counts, including three separate bribery counts, wire fraud, and Travel Act violations. The jury deadlocked on six charges and acquitted him of seven others. Among the deadlocked charges was one count of racketeering.

Screenshot of State Senator Sally Turner's Feb. 12 Facebook post | State Senator Sally Turner's Facebook page

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Madigan's conviction in a news release dated February 12. Although no sentencing hearing has been scheduled yet, Madigan could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and up to 10 years for each count of bribery. Additionally, he may face a maximum sentence of five years for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. According to the release, Madigan was convicted of one count of conspiracy, four counts of using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity, three counts of wire fraud, and two counts of bribery.

The Illinois Policy Institute is advocating for Madigan to return pension payments to the state as reported by The Center Square. Since retiring in 2021, Madigan has received nearly $600,000 in pension payments. The Institute argues that under state law he is required to repay these funds.

Turner has represented Illinois' 44th Senate District since 2021. She holds a degree in legal studies from the University of Illinois and has previously worked as a juvenile probation officer and paralegal at the Logan County State’s Attorney’s Office. Turner was elected Logan County Clerk in 1994 and served through five consecutive re-elections according to her official biography.