Mazzochi: 'Springfield Democrats have also delayed much needed ethics reforms'

Illinois State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) | Facebook/State Representative Deanne Mazzochi

By John Kelly

Jul 20, 2022

State Representative Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) said Illinois Democrats are ignoring necessary ethics reform. The trial involving four of Mike Madigan's allies has been delayed from September of this year to March 2023.

Four of Mike Madigan's allies were intended to stand trial in September, but the trial has been delayed until March 2023 as a result of a scheduling issue, CBS reported. Michael McClain, a friend of Madigan and former ComEd lobbyist; Anne Pramaggiore, the former CEO of ComEd; John Hooker, ComEd's former Vice President-turned-lobbyist; and Jay Doherty, formerly a ComEd consultant, have all been accused of trading favors with Madigan.

"The trial for the ComEd bribery case involving longtime allies of former Illinois Speaker Mike Madigan has been delayed until March 2023," Mazzochi said in a post to her Facebook account on July 15. "By not allowing bills that would ban lawmakers from lobbying, put term limits on legislative leaders, give independence to the Legislative Inspector General, and more, to move forward, Springfield Democrats have also delayed much-needed ethics reforms."

A Department of Justice statement also commented on the matter.

"The 22-count indictment accuses Madigan of leading for nearly a decade a criminal enterprise whose purpose was to enhance Madigan’s political power and financial well-being while also generating income for his political allies and associates," the statement said.

Madigan has pleaded not guilty, according to CBS. A new report has ranked Illinois the third most corrupt state in the nation, according to WTTW. The report, which was co-authored by University of Illinois at Chicago professor and former 44th Ward Ald. Dick Simpson, draws on information from the U.S. Department of Justice. In the Northern District of Illinois, which covers Chicago and the northern third of the state, 22 public officials were convicted on corruption-related charges in 2020.

That number is a decline from 2019, when 26 Illinoisans were convicted of public corruption.

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Illinois Representative Deanne M. Mazzochi (r-47th)

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