Lake County Gazette

Veteran state Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) is one of a growing number of GOP lawmakers calling for recently indicted state Sen. Terry Link (D-Indian Creek) to immediately step down.

Link, who has served as the face of the 30th District for more than two decades, was recently hit with federal tax evasion charges in U.S. District Court, where prosecutors contend he falsified his income tax return for 2016 when he “substantially exceeded” the $264,450 he reported in earnings.  

Link is now the fourth Democratic lawmaker who’s strongly backed the progressive tax system being pushed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to now find themselves facing criminal charges.

McSweeney, who is joined in pushing for Link to go by state Sen. Melinda Bush (R-Grayslake), state Rep. Daniel Didech (D-Buffalo Grove) and state Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods), has long stood as one of the biggest critics of the progressive plan.

“Gov. Pritzker’s progressive income tax hike would kill Illinois jobs and eventually devastate the middle class,” he said. “I’m fighting to cut taxes, strengthen our economy and bring jobs back to Illinois.”

Link joins former state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who faces up to 10 years in prison, and state Sen. Tom Cullerton, who has been hit with a 41-count indictment on embezzlement charges. One-time state Sen. Martin Sandoval has already pleaded guilty to taking $250,000 in bribes from SafeSpeed, a red-light camera vendor.

And then there is longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan, who now finds himself implicated in an ongoing federal corruption probe involving ComEd in which it’s alleged bribes were steered to several of his close associates as part of a pay-to-play scheme aimed at currying favor with him.

McSweeney argues all of it screams why a progressive tax system would be wrong for the state.

“Illinois’ economy has reached a breaking point,” he added. “Gov. Pritzker is still pushing his progressive income tax hike.”