NW Illinois News

State Rep. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) hopes his colleagues share his sense of urgency when it comes to bringing ethics reform to Springfield.

“It’s time for Democrats to join us in passing the sweeping ethics reform measures needed to end the culture of corruption in Illinois,” Chesney recently posted on Facebook. “Many Illinoisans won't be surprised by the details that emerge in the corruption investigation against Mike Madigan because it's been 'business as usual' for our state for far too long.”

Chesney’s call for action comes after the Chicago Sun-Times reported the FBI wiretapped a 2018 phone call where former House Speaker Mike Madigan is caught in conversation with lobbyist Michael McClain discussing payments to a member of Madigan's political organization.

After Madigan was indicted on 22 counts of corruption following a near two-year federal investigation, Chesney isn’t the only lawmaker pushing for major change in the way Springfield does business.  

"Our constituents expect us to be held to high ethical standards,” Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) told the Metro East Sun after joining 11 other Republican senators in calling for "commonsense ethics reform" that includes such changes as banning current legislators and their family members from working as lobbyists and outlawing former lawmakers from taking a job as one within a year after leaving office.

“They must know that we are adhering to both the letter and the spirit of the law so that they can be confident their representatives are representing them, and not special interests,” Bryant added, “To regain the trust of the people of our state, we must close the loopholes that lawmakers have used and abused over the years.”

The call was referenced in an affidavit sworn out by an FBI agent in May of 2019, coinciding with federal agents seeking approval from a judge to search McClain’s home in Quincy.

Madigan and McClain were charged earlier this year in a 106–page racketeering indictment that also alleges that the two sought jobs, contracts and money for Madigan’s associates from ComEd over an eight-year period commencing in 2011, and that Madigan took official action to help ComEd pass favorable legislation.

Serving as Democratic Party Chair for more than two decades, Madigan is also accused of soliciting business for his private property tax law firm during a project involving state-owned land used for a commercial development.