After the conviction this week of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s on multiple federal corruption charges, Republicans amplified their call for broader ethics reform while Democrats tried to put the Madigan era behind them and shift their focus to the future, reports Capitol News Illinois. Madigan, the longest serving legislative leader in U.S. history, was convicted of bribery and conspiracy. Most of the counts related to his allegedly seeking favors, such as no-work contracts for his allies, from officials at utility giant Commonwealth Edison in exchange for his support for favorable legislation. Madigan was found not guilty on seven charges, while the jury deadlocked on the six remaining charges shared by him and his co-defendant, former lobbyist Mike McClain. Madigan served in the Illinois House from 1971 to 2021. His $158,000 annual state of Illinois pension is being halted because of the conviction.
House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch ascended to the speakership in January 2021 after Madigan lost support from enough House Democrats to doom his reelection bid. Welch had protected Madigan after Republicans sought to oust him from office for “conduct unbecoming of a legislator” via a special House investigating committee. Welch, who began his third term as speaker in January, said House Democrats are now “focused on delivering for working people.” State Republican Chair Kathy Salvi said, “Make no mistake: nearly every Democrat in Illinois has benefitted from Madigan’s corruption in some way, and they have all been willing to sell their souls for hefty donations and the support of the political machine Madigan built."
Comments