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Feds won't go after convicted ex-Illinois Speaker's money
Federal prosecutors said they won't pursue millions of dollars in forfeiture money from convicted former Illinois Speaker Michael Madigan.
CHICAGO - Federal prosecutors announced they will no longer seek a multi-million dollar forfeiture from convicted ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
The shift comes after a change in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Northern Illinois.
The backstory:
The feds were seeking to get more than $3 million back from Madigan after he was convicted of bribery and conspiracy earlier this year.
The forfeiture included payments made to allies of the once-powerful speaker.
But a new motion from the government said they will no longer pursue any forfeiture judgement "as a matter of discretion."
The reversal comes with a new U.S. attorney in Chicago, Andrew Boutros. The assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted Madigan is gone after taking a federal employee buyout from the Trump administration.
What's next:
Next up, Madigan is expected to be sentenced in June.