Li Arellano, Jr., Illinois State Senator for 37th District | www.ilga.gov
Li Arellano, Jr., Illinois State Senator for 37th District | www.ilga.gov
State Senator Arellano, Jr (R-Dixon) issued a statement following the sentencing of former House Speaker Michael Madigan. Madigan received a 7.5-year prison sentence for public corruption charges.
Senator Arellano commented, “Justice was finally delivered in Illinois today. Former House Speaker Michael Madigan has been sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for public corruption. This marks a long-overdue reckoning for one of the most powerful, and most damaging, political figures in our state’s history.”
The senator expressed concern over persistent corruption issues in Illinois politics, referencing past scandals including the $53 million Rita Crundwell scandal in Dixon and a recent incident involving a Rock Island County employee who embezzled over $900,000 from taxpayers.
He stated, “Corruption costs plague Illinois politics, which is exactly why I stepped into public service... And now as a State Senator, I’m seeing first-hand the consequences of Madigan’s decades-long grip on power and the corrupt culture he fostered in Springfield.”
Arellano emphasized the need for systemic reform: “We can’t just sit back and hope the system corrects itself. The system is broken, and our families and communities continue to pay the price.” He called for independent oversight, tighter revolving door laws, mandatory audits of public accounts, and advanced fraud detection tools.
Criticizing Democratic leaders' response since Madigan's indictment in 2022, Arellano remarked that no significant ethics reforms have been enacted. He said, “But let’s be bluntly honest, Democratic leaders have not pursued serious ethics reform since Madigan’s indictment in 2022. Not a single measure to clean up the General Assembly has passed.”
Concluding his statement with a commitment to ethical governance, Arellano asserted his dedication to representing his district with integrity: “Illinois deserves better. You deserve a system that’s transparent, accountable, and worthy of the people it serves. I will keep working every day to represent the 37th District with integrity and to hold all elected officials to the highest standard. The days of turning a blind eye to corruption must end.”
Alerts Sign-up