State Representative Patrick Windhorst (IL) | Representative Patrick Windhorst (R) 117th District
State Representative Patrick Windhorst (IL) | Representative Patrick Windhorst (R) 117th District
On June 13, 2025, former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, along with three years of probation and a $2.5 million fine. This sentencing follows his conviction on ten felony charges of bribery and racketeering.
Madigan's crimes involved collusion with Commonwealth Edison, which agreed to a Deferred Prosecution Agreement and paid a $200 million fine for its role in rewarding Madigan’s political allies with no-show jobs and lobbying contracts. These actions were taken in exchange for legislative favors from Madigan.
"Speaker Madigan will now be a federal prison inmate, and for his crimes against the people of Illinois, that is where he belongs," stated Windhorst. He criticized Madigan for breaking public trust by prioritizing personal financial interests over those of Illinois citizens.
Windhorst, who holds positions as the House Republican Floor Leader and the House Republican Ranking Member on the House Ethics & Elections Committee, urged Democrats to address public corruption through substantial ethics reforms.
"I’m a co-sponsor of several bills that would target public corruption," Windhorst noted. He advocates for banning legislators from becoming lobbyists, prohibiting the use of campaign funds for legal defense, and granting subpoena power to the Legislative Inspector General. "My message to my Democratic colleagues is this: Wake up and take action to stop public corruption."
The call to action aims to prevent future incidents similar to those involving Madigan.
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