Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan resigned more than a year ago, but his towering presence rocked the state’s political landscape once again Wednesday — this time in the form of racketeering charges leveled against him by a federal grand jury.
Pritzker’s office followed up with a written statement deeming the allegations “deplorable and a stark violation of the public’s trust. Michael Madigan must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
In Springfield, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch — the man who took up the gavel that Madigan held for most of four decades — said the indictment showed that the feds “did their job,” one that couldn’t have been handled by the investigative committee Welch chaired to look into the allegations against Madigan.
On the other side of the Capitol aisle, Republicans pounced on the indictment of Madigan, whom they’ve long painted as the face of Illinois corruption. U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, who replaced Madigan as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois, called the indictment “a stark reminder that elected leaders must hold themselves to the highest ethical standards” — and she called on him to resign from his post as state central committeeperson for the 3rd Congressional District.
State Rep. Ann William, who challenged Madigan for speaker, said in a statement that “accountability and integrity should be at the foundation of public service. Unfortunately, this was lost in the pursuit of personal gain and political power. Collaboration and inclusion took a back seat to a culture of cronyism and control.”
State Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, accused Pritzker of being “Mike Madigan’s handpicked gubernatorial candidate.” Former state Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo, said Pritzker “bowed down and kissed Madigan’s ring when it was advantageous for him. No amount of revisionist history gives the governor the right to clutch his pearls now.”
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