North Cook News

A local committeeman said he is surprised former House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) has given up all of his power.

Schaumburg Township Republican Committeeman Joe Folisi said Madigan may still be pulling strings.

“Mike Madigan does not give up power easily,” Folisi said in an interview with North Cook News. “It is unknown, but highly possible his resignation from the House and as Chairman of the Democrat Party is part of a plea deal with the U.S. Attorney's office. Madigan still has a sizable war chest and his temporary replacement is weak so he may still be pulling the strings.”

Madigan resigned from his position as chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party earlier this week. He resigned from his position as a state representative last week and lost his bid for House Speaker in January.

“Over the last two decades, we have elected a diverse array of Democrats across Illinois and helped send a hometown Chicago leader to the White House, turning Illinois into a Democratic stronghold in the Midwest,” Madigan said in a news release, The Center Square reported. “Together, we faced conservative extremism and stood up for working men and women.”

Madigan has been making headlines since over the summer when he was connected with the Commonwealth Edison scandal. Though he has never been charged with any wrongdoing, there have been allegations of bribery.

ComEd agreed over the summer to pay $200 million in a settlement after it admitted it had provided Madigan’s associates with jobs and contracts in exchange for influencing Madigan.

“My work would not have been possible without the support of my family, Shirley, Lisa, Tiffany, Nicole and Andrew,” Madigan said in the release. “I thank each of them for their unwavering love and support that has allowed me to do this work for so long.”