Former Chicago city council powerhouse Ed Burke and ex-Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan are felons convicted in different cases, but right now both men are begging for mercy on a path that may end on President Donald Trump’s desk.

We begin with the fabled and now defrocked Ed Burke. At age 81, if Burke wants his record cleared at this point, he has no choice but to beg Trump for a pardon. This direct-to-the-top approach for Burke has become necessary because his application for conventional clemency through the Justice Department pardon office was rejected.

After 54 years in the Chicago City Council, history’s longest tenure, a short walk of shame is Burke’s lasting legacy, as his home confinement continues after his conviction.

Last week NBC Chicago’s investigative team learned that a Justice Department notice went out closing Burke’s standard request for a pardon.

Now his hope for a pardon is with the president, who has a history of siding with convicted politicians.

“I think about, you have to understand about Trump, is that he’s a criminal,” said University of Missouri law professor emeritus Frank Bowman, a former federal prosecutor. “He’s not only a convicted felon with 34 counts, but his is essentially a criminal mindset. If you want to get a pardon from him, you need to to signal, personally and through your intermediaries, that you think he’s the best thing since sliced bread, you know, bend the knee, flatter him.”

As for Madigan, he just began a 7 1/2 year federal sentence for corruption. As NBC 5 Investigates first reported, a filing by 83-year old Madigan has aimed for a pardon once he is released.

Madigan’s net worth is estimated at $40 million, and Burke’s wealth at $30 million. Despite being rich Democrats, they are both appealing to a rich Republican president.

Needless to say, the Burke/Trump road is rocky. As a 2016 Chicago Sun Times front page proclaimed, Burke’s law firm made millions by saving Trump millions in property taxes.

But during Burke’s trial he successfully blocked any mention of Trump, saying the president is despised by many Americans, especially so in Chicago.

“I don’t think that money is at play here. I think it’s more for Trump, ‘what have you done for me in the past, or what might you do for me in the future?;” said University of Chicago law professor Erica Zunkel. “He is somebody who holds grudges and does not let any slight slide.”

Madigan remains locked up in Morgantown, West Virginia. Burke his time in the Thomson Illinois prison and then a Chicago halfway house. But right now, both men are locked in limbo when it comes to their criminal justice status.

Whether Burke and Madigan will carry the name felon to their final resting places, is a decision that now ultimately rests in Trump’s hands.