Michael Madigan, once the most powerful figure in Illinois politics, was sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison on Friday.

Madigan, 83, who for years was widely hailed as the most powerful politician in the state, was convicted on bribery conspiracy and other corruption charges.

Michael Madigan, the country’s longest-serving state House leader, served as speaker of the Illinois House from 1983 until 2021, with the exception of two years. Along the way, he developed a reputation as an all-powerful political wizard who wielded vast influence over laws affecting nearly