Lake County Gazette

Republican state House candidate Chris Bos deems House Speaker Mike Madigan’s arrogance to be dangerously out of control.

“That part of the problem we’re facing as a state, when one of your so-called leaders' arrogance is so out of control he doesn’t see a problem with doing things that are ruing the whole state,” Bos told the Lake County Gazette. “He doesn’t think he’s capable of doing any wrong, and it’s a feeling that’s permeated the whole Democratic Party with the power they have in Springfield right now.”

With a bipartisan Special House committee now convened to look into some of the speaker’s more questionable behavior related to the 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.”

Bos, who is running against incumbent state Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) in the 51st District, argues none of that changes anything about what everyone knows needs to happen.

“It’s time to clean up the House, move the state forward and that all starts with ousting Madigan,” he said. “Every legislator and candidate needs to clearly establish whether they’re voting for Madigan going forward because all the change needed in Springfield has to start with him being gone.”

Bos said he’s not surprised to hear Madigan insist he has no intention of cooperating with the state House probe going forward.

“It just means he knows the circle is tightening,” he said. “It’s one of the challenges the committee knew they faced coming into this. The good thing is, it makes his refusal to cooperate more public and leaves people wondering what he has to hide.”