House Speaker Mike Madigan | File photo
House Speaker Mike Madigan | File photo
House Republican want Gov. J.B. Pritzker to call a special session of the General Assembly on ethics reform after hearing House Speaker Michael Madigan is under a federal investigation tied to his relations with ComEd.
Commonwealth Edison pleaded guilty in a bribery case dealing with energy rate legislation and will pay $200 million in fines, the Daily Herald reported. The utility admitting hiring allies of the House Speaker in the scheme.
“For too long, ethics reform has been cast aside by Mike Madigan and it is now abundantly clear why,” Assistant Minority Leader Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville), who serves on the now-dormant Commission on Lobbying & Ethics Reform, posted on his website.
Wehrli was joined by state Reps. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) and Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) in their call for a special session in which they want ethics reforms passed. The House Republicans created an online petition where state residents can signal their interest in a special session.
Because Madigan is under investigation for his alleged unethical behavior, Wehrli said he should not preside if a special session is called. If Madigan’s Democrat colleagues don’t call for a special session, Pritzker must do it, he said.
“Silence is corruption,” Wehrli posted on the website.
Pritzker said if Madigan is guilty of the allegations, he must resign from office, the Daily Herald reported. Madigan’s office denied the accusations.
It won’t be enough to just get rid of Madigan, Mazzochi said. His cronies who adopt the same culture must go as well or another insider will continue the cycle of corruption.
“The time is now for Democrats to stand up and join us in saying enough is enough,” Mazzochi said.
Ugaste said he wants legislation to close loopholes in existing laws to rid the statehouse of corruption.
“There are many pieces of legislation the Republican caucus filed this session to reform our ethics laws, and while they were stopped by Speaker Madigan, today they and more can become reality should a special session be convened,” Ugaste said.
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