A federal appeals court has rejected former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan’s bid to remain free while challenging his historic corruption conviction , meaning the country’s longest-serving state House leader is almost certainly headed to prison this month.

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had appeared to be the 83-year-old’s last, best hope of remaining free. But the court denied Madigan’s request without explanation in an order Friday.

It’s not clear where Madigan will serve his prison sentence, but his lawyers have asked that he be sent to a prison camp in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Madigan led the Illinois House of Representatives for all but two years between 1983 and 2021. He’s due to surrender Oct. 13 to begin serving a 7 ½-year prison sentence that could keep him behin

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