Illinois Republicans are urging voters to bring about change on November 5th, as they feel that Democrats are not making sufficient efforts in enacting significant ethics reforms in the General Assembly.
In response to a Politico article that criticized Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stance on e-cigarettes, despite his cousin Nicholas Pritzker being the second-largest shareholder of an e-cig company, there was speculation that he was being vetted to be Kamala Harris’ running mate. Using social media, Gov. Pritzker addressed the speculation head-on.
After Daniel Lippman posted on X that Pritzker’s lack of corruption was a deviation from the typical values of Illinois politicians, Pritzker humorously replied with “My bad.”
Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, expressed disappointment that the Democratic supermajority is not taking enough steps to tackle corrupt practices within the state government.
McCombie, speaking outside the Republican National Convention, expressed her disappointment with the lack of action on ethics and promised to take matters into her own hands as a voter. “Despite all the talk about changes and ethics, we haven’t seen any real progress. It’s up to us, as voters, to make the necessary changes at the ballot box,” she stated.
On November 5th, the election will take place while the former Illinois House Speaker, Michael Madigan, is gearing up to face corruption charges in October. The charges against him are related to a case called the “Madigan Enterprise,” in which federal prosecutors accused him of being involved in a 10-year scheme with ComEd. The scheme involved getting no-show jobs for his friends in exchange for legislation that favored the utility. Despite the allegations, Madigan has denied any wrongdoing and entered a plea of not guilty.
According to Democrats, they have made significant efforts to address ethical concerns within their legislative body. They have implemented measures that prevent lawmakers from becoming lobbyists under specific circumstances and have also tightened regulations on registered lobbyists and consultants. Additionally, they have expanded economic interest disclosures and increased the powers of the Legislative Inspector General to ensure greater transparency and accountability.
During the recent RNC held in Milwaukee, Kathy Salvi, the Chair of Illinois GOP, disclosed that she had a meeting with fellow Republicans hailing from various parts of the country.
“I have had the opportunity to meet many delegations from different parts of the country, and it is disheartening to see that Illinois is known for its culture of corruption. It is a sad reality that we cannot ignore.”
According to Salvi, the Republicans in the super minority are determined to bring about a positive change in Illinois. State Senator Terri Bryant, who hails from Murphysboro, has voiced her support for the re-election of the former Republican president.
Bryant reminded everyone that it was Donald Trump who provided the Justice Department with the necessary funds and resources to bring down Mike Madigan.
In 2020, amidst allegations of corruption against the ComEd Four and subsequent charges against the former Illinois House Speaker in 2021, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin requested President Joe Biden to retain Former Northern Illinois U.S. Attorney John Lausch, who was appointed during the Trump administration. Lausch has been instrumental in handling the legal fallout of these allegations.
Over the years, there have been numerous corruption cases emerging from the Illinois Statehouse, and Madigan’s case is just one of them. In 2020, former state senator Martin Sandoval, who represented Cicero, admitted to bribery and tax offenses.
Luis Arroyo, a former state representative from Illinois, based in Chicago, has been sentenced to almost five years after being found guilty of being involved in a bribery scheme. In the case, a cooperating witness wore a wire against Arroyo’s involvement with a fellow state legislator.
Illinois’ former Democratic state senator from Indian Creek, Terry Link, has been sentenced to three years in a tax evasion case.
