Peoria Standard

Federal prosecutors have requested a 12 ½ year prison sentence and a $1.5 million fine for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan following his conviction on bribery and conspiracy charges. In response, Deputy House Minority Leader Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) issued a statement addressing the situation.

Spain stated, "No amount of time behind bars can pay back the people of Illinois for the corruption that Mike Madigan poisoned our statehouse with over his decades in power, but I commend federal prosecutors for seeking as strong a sentence as they could." He further emphasized the need for ethical reforms within the Illinois government, expressing hope that this case serves as a wake-up call to lawmakers.

Spain continued, "While I won’t hold my breath waiting for it, this should be a message to Democrats in the legislature that it is long past time to fix the ethical loopholes in Illinois government that have eroded public trust."

He reiterated his stance on ethics reform by saying, "I’ve said more times than I can count, Illinois needs to act on ethics reform, so we can stop relying on federal prosecutors to clean up our mess. The time for honest, transparent government in the state of Illinois is now!"

The sentencing request highlights ongoing concerns about political corruption and calls attention to demands for legislative changes aimed at restoring public confidence.