North Cook News

State Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) said the real fault for former Illinois House speaker Michael Madigan is with the Democratic party backing him for so long.

“Democrats knew full well the power plays Mike Madigan used to stay in office for decades, and yet they didn’t act until federal authorities stepped in,” Morrison told North Cook News. “Today, Madigan is being held accountable. Madigan may be gone as America’s most powerful House Speaker, but the culture of corruption that he created and that enabled him to stay in office for so long remains.  

“The House parliamentary rules he established to secure his iron grip on power are the same rules we operate under today. Illinois has been shortchanged on responsible, bipartisan government for decades as a result. And the damage done to our state will take decades to repair, if ever.”

“We need real ethics and other major policy reforms, and we need leadership term limits so that no one individual can ever amass so much power over our state’s laws and policies again.”

In a series of papers and documents revealed as part of the investigation, Madigan was known as "official A." He and former Commonwealth Edison lobbyist and Quincy-native Michael McClain have been accused of running a racketeering ring involved in a $150 million bribery scandal.

In a statement announcing the indictment, the Department of Justice noted Madigan was indicted on "racketeering and bribery charges for allegedly using his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates."

"Corruption by an elected official and his associates undermines the public’s confidence in our government," U.S. Attorney Lausch, who filed the indictment, said. "The indictment alleges a long-term, multifaceted scheme to use public positions for unlawful private gain. Rooting out and prosecuting the kind of corruption alleged in the indictment will always be a top priority for this office."

Madigan, 79, held power for 36 years as House Speaker. He resigned on Feb. 18, 2021, months after his and McClain’s operation was discovered to have funneled $150 million in bribes through ComEd. ComEd itself was investigated under the federal racketeering RICO law until it signed a plea worth $200 million.

Madigan has continued as a senior partner with Madigan and Getzendanner, a law firm specializing in property tax adjustments. For years Madigan was also criticized for his role in that firm for its close ties to other prominent Democrats, including former Cook County Assessor and Cook County Democratic Party Chair Joe Berrios.