Peoria Standard

State Representative Ryan Spain addressed the ongoing trial of former House Speaker Michael Madigan in a Facebook post dated November 15. He said, "As the Madigan trial carries on, I remain committed to strengthening Illinois' ethics laws and ending the culture of corruption that has plagued our state for far too long."

"As the Madigan trial carries on, I remain committed to strengthening Illinois' ethics laws and ending the culture of corruption that has plagued our state for far too long," said Michael Spain, State Representative for 73th District (R), according to Facebook.

According to Spain's post, he shared a link to a Capitol News Illinois article from November 14. The article focused on testimony by Fidel Marquez, a Commonwealth Edison executive who is cooperating with authorities in the Madigan case. Marquez's testimony detailed his agreement to wear a wire for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) during its investigation into Madigan and Commonwealth Edison (ComEd). In 2019, when approached by the FBI, Marquez was nearing his seventh anniversary as ComEd’s senior vice president for governmental and external affairs. His responsibilities included overseeing nearly 150 employees and numerous contract lobbyists, including Mike McClain. McClain was convicted in the 2023 ComEd Four trial and is currently a co-defendant in Madigan's trial.

Screenshot of State Representative Ryan Spain's Nov. 15 Facebook post | State Representative Ryan Spain's Facebook page

Marquez also testified in the 2023 trial involving ComEd executives. According to a March 31 report from Capitol News Illinois, defense attorney Patrick Cotter accused Marquez of attempting to save himself by becoming an informant for the FBI. During this testimony, discussions included reactions to a bill aimed at providing more breaks to low-income customers. The jury reviewed emails and listened to a wiretapped call where McClain told Marquez and another individual that "We’ve got to pull out all of the stops," noting that Lisa Madigan’s team had momentum behind it. The bill was ultimately defeated.

Michael Madigan served in the Illinois State Legislature starting in 1970 and held the position of speaker from 1983 until 2021, except for two years when Republicans controlled the legislature. He resigned as speaker in 2021 and stepped down as chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party.

Spain has represented Illinois' 73rd House District since 2017. A lifelong resident of Peoria, he holds degrees in political science and speech communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from Bradley University. His public service includes serving on the Peoria City Council from 2007 until fall 2016.