Lake County Gazette

State Rep. Chris Kasperski (R-Lindenhurst) leaves no doubt where it comes down in the House Speaker Mike Madigan debate.

“Speaker Madigan has presided over the decay of Illinois for four decades,” Kasperski told the Lake County Gazette. “It is past time for him to resign. Madigan should be joining the ranks of many of our past governors and spend the rest of his days in prison, rather than leeching off of the state as he has done for so long. His status as the chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party also demonstrates the extent of the control that he has over the Democratic supermajority in the General Assembly.”

After nearly four decades of being in control in Springfield, Madigan now finds himself at the center of an unfolding federal corruption probe involving ComEd. Federal prosecutors contend the company engaged in a “years-long bribery scheme” involving jobs, contracts and payments that were steered to him in his role as house speaker and chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party.

To date, no charges have been filed against the state’s longest-serving lawmaker, but prosecutors have not been shy in asserting that the utility giant sought to “influence and reward” Madigan by providing financial benefits to those directly tied to him.

“In order to see true ethics reform in Springfield, we must evaluate the efforts of our representatives to hold each other accountable,” added Kasperski, who is running against state Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) in the 31st District. “Partisanship must yield to doing the right thing. If that means that they must go against their own party, then they should. That is what real leadership looks like, and it is something that is desperately lacking down in Springfield.

Even as the scrutiny and the pressure mounts, Kasperski said he doesn’t expect to see Madigan change much in his approach.

“Since Mike Madigan was unwilling to relinquish his power for his daughter's gubernatorial hopes, I doubt that he will resign under any terms other than his own,” he said. “It was refreshing to see my opponent immediately call for his resignation; however, I remain skeptical of her motives, as she refused to return the $170,225 that she received in contributions from Madigan.”