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Representative Paul Jacobs voiced his feelings about Former Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan’s indictment that claims a racketeering conspiracy.

“They say power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, and I believe that is what was revealed by the United States Attorney’s office upon news of today’s indictment,” Jacobs told the Carbondale Reporter.

The Illinois Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a March 2 release arraignments have yet to be made.  

Madigan was indicted on March 2 for federal racketeering and bribery charges. A release from the Illinois DOJ said that “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.”

Madigan is facing charges of racketeering conspiracy, as well as individual counts of using interstate facilities to carry out bribery, wire fraud and attempted extortion. The release notes that in addition to his role as speaker of the House, Madigan has also held the positions of Representative of Illinois’s 22nd District, committeeman for Chicago’s 13th Ward, chairman of both the Illinois Democratic Party and the 13th Ward Democratic Organization, and partner at the Chicago law firm of Madigan & Getzendanner.

Senator Darren Bailey said he has seen the corruption in his state.

“(The) indictment of the former Speaker and leader of the @IllinoisDems is no surprise,” Bailey wrote on Twitter. “As governor, I’ll root out corruption and ensure those who engage in illegal activity are prosecuted and pay a steep price for violating the public trust. It’s time to reform Springfield.”

Illinois Policy reported Illinois legislators passed an ethics reform bill last year, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed in October. The Legislative Inspector General at the time, Carol Pope, announced her resignation in response to the “ethics reform” bill.

Pope felt her position had no power.

ABC reported that in her letter of resignation, Pope called the office of LIG a “paper tiger” and stated that the so-called ethics reform bill did not go far enough, and actually tied her hands more than they had been before.

“I’m thinking that the legislature knows the limitations of the power of the LIG and that they want it that way,” Pope told ABC. “That’s why I said I am a paper tiger. There are no real teeth to this legislation the way it is now.”

There’s a history of Illinois politicians getting caught in corruption.

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached and convicted of multiple corruption charges. Former Gov. and Secretary of State George Ryan was convicted of racketeering and sentenced to 6.5 years in prison. Former U.S. Rep. of more than 35 years Dan Rostenkowski was convicted of corruption and sentenced to serve time in prison.