NW Illinois News

Should there be another indictment before lawmakers prioritize ethics reform, state Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) asked legislators.

Demmer commented on the indictment of Tim Mapes, former House clerk and chief of staff to former House Speaker Michael J. Madigan on federal charges of perjury and attempted obstruction of justice. Mapes pleaded not guilty.

“Again, today an indictment was brought forward by a federal prosecutor against a person who was a familiar face under this dome and in fact was an officer of this house,” he said. “Now, you’d think in most states even a single indictment would shake a building to its core. It would have citizens call and demand for changes to be made. In Illinois, it’s not just a single indictment. It's happened again and again and again and again. Lobbyists, officers and employees, elected officials at the city, county, and state level, this is more than just a few bad apples.”

A much-needed change, Demmer said, should start from the assembly. A change in principles and practices should correct the vicious cycle of corruption and mistrust.  

“This is a culture that’s been created here,” he said. “A culture where we share responsibility for maintaining. We have the obligation to the people that we serve to protect the integrity of these institutions. We cannot write off repeated indictments for corrupt acts as just the wayward actions of a few bad apples. Ethics reform should be at the forefront of our discussions. Will we learn the lessons from the past? Will we take responsibility for the culture that exists in this capital? Will we be proactive to rebuild and re-earn the trust of the people we serve? Or will we wait, again for the next indictment, for the next prosecution, for the next investigation, for the next shoe to drop?

He asked “how many more indictments will it take” for lawmakers to act.

“These indictments are an indictment of the culture that we've created and only we can change that,” Demmer argued. “We must enact meaningful ethics reform. Meaningful ethics reform that people outside this building would have a right to be proud of, not a few small changes around the edges to get a talking point or a bullet point line that says we passed ethics reform. We have to re-earn the trust of the people of Illinois.”

Mapes’ arraignment was conducted via a remote hearing before U.S. District Judge John Lee.