NW Illinois News

Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan began serving a 7.5-year federal prison sentence on October 13 after being convicted on 10 counts of public corruption. His imprisonment follows a lengthy investigation and prosecution that highlighted issues of misconduct and abuse of power within the Illinois state government.

Illinois State Senator Andrew Chesney, who was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2023 to represent the 45th Senate District, has spoken out about the broader implications of Madigan’s conviction. Chesney noted that efforts to hold Madigan accountable began earlier, when he and two other Republican lawmakers filed a petition in August 2020 to launch a Special Investigating Committee into Madigan’s alleged misconduct. At that time, Madigan was under scrutiny due to a federal investigation involving ComEd and accusations of power abuse.

Chesney said the committee was intended to provide legislative accountability but was quickly halted after hearing from only one witness. The proceedings were ended by Chris Welch, Madigan’s close ally and successor as Speaker of the House. Welch described the committee as “a sham show trial.”

“When Welch ended the proceedings after hearing from just one witness, he shined a spotlight on a political culture in Springfield that prioritizes loyalty, power, and self-preservation over integrity and accountability,” Chesney stated.

Chesney credited federal authorities for continuing their investigation despite the committee’s shutdown. He argued that Madigan’s imprisonment does not address ongoing issues of corruption in Illinois politics. According to Chesney, Republican lawmakers have introduced several ethics reform bills aimed at increasing transparency and accountability, but these proposals have not advanced.

Chesney pointed out that Democrat leaders have blocked debate on these reforms and that Speaker Welch announced there would be no ethics reforms brought forward during the fall legislative session.

“The refusal to even debate reforms filed by Republicans sends a message that corruption will only be punished when federal prosecutors get involved. That should alarm every Illinoisan who is tired of seeing their government operate like a criminal enterprise instead of a public institution,” Chesney said.

He concluded that real change requires structural reforms within the legislature and that accountability must go beyond criminal convictions.

Chesney was elected to his current position in 2023, succeeding Brian Stewart as senator for Illinois’ 45th Senate District.