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Chicago Tribune

‘Some kind of range war’: Testimony in ex-Illinois speaker's corruption trial reveals big political fight over tiny piece of land

Chicago Tribune
Summary
Nutrition label

62% Informative

Former Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan is on trial on racketeering charges.

Prosecutors say he conspired to get a parking lot in Chicago 's Chinatown neighborhood transferred from state to city.

The parking lot was a key factor in one of the biggest corruption cases in Illinois history.

Madigan 's confidant, Michael McClain , and lobbyist Nancy Kimme are on trial.

Kimme negotiated a land transfer plan with Tony Munoz to put both properties in the same bill.

But Kimme learned that state Rep. Theresa Mah , who took office just a year earlier , was no fan of the idea or of Danny Solis .

Kimme and McClain were recorded on a phone call played for the jury.

Madigan , 82 , of Chicago , faces racketeering charges alleging he ran his state and political operations like a criminal enterprise.

He is charged alongside longtime confidant McClain , 77 , a former ComEd contract lobbyist from downstate Quincy .

Both men have pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.

VR Score

70

Informative language

71

Neutral language

57

Article tone

semi-formal

Language

English

Language complexity

37

Offensive language

possibly offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

short-lived

External references

no external sources

Source diversity

no sources

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