In the latest high-profile corruption case to rock Illinois state government, former House Speaker Michael Madigan has been sentenced to 7.5 years in federal prison following his corruption trial conviction in February.
Madigan dominated Illinois politics for decades, holding almost absolute power in the legislature as recently as 2020. He was forced from office amid a corruption investigation in 2021, was indicted, stood trial over the winter, and is now a convicted felon and on his way to federal prison. The trial, in which Madigan was convicted on ten corruption counts, revealed that he directed a decade-long criminal enterprise to shake down a utility company for jobs and money for his cronies. Prosecutors called his enterprise the “Make Mike Madigan Money Plan.”
House Republicans have introduced legislation to reform Illinois’ broken system of ethics laws. Our proposals would strengthen the office of the inspector general, would prohibit lawmakers from using campaign funds for their legal defense, and would stop the revolving door of legislators becoming lobbyists, just to name a few of our ideas.
But even with former Speaker Madigan’s conviction, statehouse Democrats refused to even allow our ideas to get a hearing in committee, much less a floor vote. This year’s spring session ended without any ethics reform being passed.
We have to act to clean up the corruption in Springfield. This Madigan conviction and sentencing is just the latest reason why.
State Representative Dan Swanson • 275 N. Division St. • Woodhull, IL 61490 • (309) 334-7474
