SE Illinois News

State Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) is hoping House Speaker Mike Madigan being fingered as a central figure in a federal corruption probe is just the start of putting Springfield back in order.

“The resignation that people are demanding from him now is something I called for two years ago,” Bailey told the SE Illinois News. “It has to happen because this corrupt culture is destroying Illinois. Right behind him out the door needs to be Gov. (J.B.) Pritzker with his toilet removal scandal.”

Madigan, who easily reigns as the longest-tenured lawmaker in the state, now finds himself at the center of a still-evolving probe into ComEd, in which prosecutors are on record in asserting that the company engaged in a “years-long bribery scheme” involving jobs, contracts and payments that were steered to him in his role as house speaker and chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party.

While stopping short of formally levying any charges, prosecutors contend Commonwealth Edison attempted to “influence and reward” Madigan by providing financial benefits to those directly tied to him.

“The look of this is so bad that you’ve even got a few Democrats now calling for him to go,” Bailey added. “I think everyone realizes that this is a distraction Illinois does not need right now.”

In publicly announcing the case against ComEd public, U.S. Attorney John Lausch noted the investigation is ongoing. The Chicago Tribune reports federal investigators have moved to subpoena Madigan for information, including “possible job recommendations.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Madigan said he plans to cooperate with the probe, adding “The speaker has never helped someone find a job with the expectation that the person would not be asked to perform work by their employer, nor did he ever expect to provide anything to a prospective employer if it should choose to hire a person he recommended.”

Bailey argues there’s only one way to clear up all the confusion.

“He needs to resign and allow a clean slate of leadership,” he said, adding that voters also have a role to play in restoring Springfield. “To change the culture we have to get out of the habit of just voting for candidates based on party affiliation. We’re seeing a government out of control and a Democratic Party becoming more and more known for corruption.”