SE Illinois News

Republican House state hopeful Lisa Ciampoli can only see one way forward in Springfield.

“Ethics reforms begins and ends with one person and that’s Mike Madigan,” Ciampoli said. “Until every Democrat in the state, including my opponent, demand he resigns from office nothing will change in Illinois.”

Ciampoli wonders why the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform still isn’t meeting to work on new guidelines given a new University of Illinois at Chicago study finds that corruption now costs state taxpayers at least $556 million on an annual basis. Over the last two decades, that burden swells to well over $10 billion or in the neighborhood of $830 per resident.

This year alone, at least four state lawmakers have been indicted on corruption charges, adding to the state’s long and sordid political history that includes four governors having been sentenced to prison over the last five decades. Presently, longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan finds himself cast as a central figure in the ongoing federal probe involving utility giant ComEd and a pay-for-play scheme.

“As a state representative, I will never cast a vote for Mike Madigan,” added Ciampoli, who is running against incumbent state Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) in the 112th District. “It’s time for new leadership, and that begins with a new state representative.”

With Democrats having recently moved to offer up their own set off ethical reforms, Ciampoli remains unconvinced.

“Will Katie Stuart return the hundreds of thousands (of dollars) she has received from Madigan-controlled funds?” Ciampoli asked rhetorically.

Ciampoli also recently blasted Gov. J.B. Pritzker over his decision to reenact shutdown restrictions in certain areas of the state.

“If another shutdown order is in place, the damage will be irreparable,” she told SE Illinois News. “It's been estimated that in Illinois, over 20,000 businesses could close if another shutdown order is imposed by our governor.”