State Representative Tony McCombie (IL) | Representative Tony M. McCombie (R) 89th District
State Representative Tony McCombie (IL) | Representative Tony M. McCombie (R) 89th District
Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan is on trial in Chicago, facing 23 felony charges, including racketeering, bribery, wire fraud, and extortion. As the trial unfolds over the next 11 weeks, Republican lawmakers are renewing their call for ethics reform in the state.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker stated during opening arguments that "this is a case about corruption at the highest level of state government." The prosecution plans to present nearly 200 wiretapped audio and video recordings as evidence against Madigan.
House Minority Leader Tony McCombie has been advocating for ethics reform in the Illinois House but reports no progress on such measures. McCombie emphasized urgency by stating, "We have not passed any ethics legislation this General Assembly and I would argue any significant ethics reform since I was elected in 2017," adding that it is unacceptable for inaction to persist.
One of McCombie's proposals is House Bill 4119, which aims to prevent elected officials from using political campaign funds for criminal defense expenses.
Alerts Sign-up