Lake County Gazette

On the Mike Madigan front, state House hopeful Dan Yost insists Democrat state Rep. Joyce Mason is conspicuous with her silence.

“Why isn’t Joyce Mason demanding that Madigan answer questions for his alleged involvement in a bribery scandal with ComEd?” Yost asked the Lake County Gazette. “Is it because she voted him for speaker and he is bankrolling her campaign?”

Amid the backdrop of an ongoing ComEd federal corruption probe, Madigan recently let it be known he has no intention of answering questions about his suspected involvement before the bipartisan panel. The state’s longest-tenured lawmaker made his feelings clear in a three-page letter he sent to committee members in which he also forcefully defended his widely known practice of patronage hiring as not “ethically improper.”

Challenging Mason in the 61st District, Yost insist his resolve grows in the face of all Springfield’s current failure.

“I am going to Springfield to put families first, not for the political pay-to-play priorities of Mike Madigan," he added.

Yost has long argued Madigan can’t be part of the change that desperately needs to come to Springfield and should immediately step down. He argues he can only think of one reason why he thinks Mason hasn’t joined him in calling for him to go.

“My opponent continues to accept campaign cash from Madigan despite decades of financial mismanagement, corruption and even the mishandling of allegations of sexual harassment,” he said. “I’m running to usher in an era of transparency and restoration of trust in Springfield.”