Michael Madigan files petition seeking U.S. Supreme Court review of corruption conviction, The Hill reports

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review his corruption conviction, The Hill reported. Madigan’s petition was docketed on Wednesday, according to the outlet.

Madigan, the longest-serving speaker in the history of the U.S. House and a longtime Illinois political powerbroker, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for using his position, The Hill said. The report also described the case as involving conduct that prosecutors tied to financially benefiting Madigan and political associates.

In the petition, Madigan argued that the jury was given improper instructions, The Hill reported. The filing request is designed to prompt the Supreme Court to consider whether the conviction should be vacated or otherwise modified based on alleged errors at trial.

The Supreme Court’s docket process means the justices must decide whether to grant the petition, a step that typically requires a reason to take the case. If the Court declines review, the lower-court decision would stand; if it grants review, the case would move into merits briefing and, later, argument if the Court schedules it.

Madigan’s effort comes as federal courts continue to handle post-trial disputes in complex political corruption cases, where questions can include evidentiary rulings, jury instructions, and whether prosecutors proved the charged conduct under the applicable statutes. The Hill’s report did not provide additional details about the specific instructions at issue.

No Department of Justice statement or Supreme Court docket entry confirming the petition’s exact contents or procedural posture was included in the information provided for this story, so the central description of the filing is based on The Hill’s account. A full check of official court dockets and any accompanying filings would be needed to confirm the petition’s precise arguments and the posture of related appeals.