Lake County Gazette

Former state Senate candidate Thomas McCullagh takes solace in his firm believe that Mike Madigan’s days in Springfield are numbered.

“I really don’t think it’ll be much longer before he’ll be on his way to federal prison for all the damage he’s done to this state,” McCullagh told the Lake County Gazette. “And that’s just for the things we know about.”

McCullagh argues everything the longtime House speaker does these days is about self-preservation, including his role in state legislative leaders moving to cancel the fall Veto Session. While the decision is said to stem from rising COVID-19 infection rates, McCullagh isn’t so sure.

“With all the things his name is tied to right now, he knows he doesn’t have any real answers,” added McCullagh, a Republican who received over 44% of the vote in his loss to 49th District incumbent state Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. “That’s what all this comes down to.”

The state’s longest-tenured lawmaker, Madigan now finds himself at the center of a still evolving federal corruption probe involving ComEd and a pay-for-play scheme where all the perks were allegedly steered to him in exchange for favorable legislation. At the same time, a special House committee has been convened to look into some of his most suspect behavior to determine if any sanctions up to expulsion are warranted.  

McCullagh is keeping close watch of it all.

“I actually think there will be more coming in this whole ComEd episode that he will be tied to,” he said. “It’s crazy, but even with everything that’s happened it’s still as though Democrats are still afraid to stand up to him and hold him accountable.”