Lake County Gazette

Following the conviction of Tim Mapes, Chief of Staff for former House Speaker Michael Madigan, State Rep. Tom Weber (R-Lake Villa) has voiced a resounding call for greater accountability among elected officials in Illinois, emphasizing the need to address misconduct before it escalates into criminal behavior.

“If we want to stamp out corruption in Illinois, then elected officials need to be held accountable for bad behavior long before it becomes criminal,” Rep. Weber wrote in an Aug. 30 Facebook post. “It's time to give Illinoisans a state government they can trust by holding politicians to the highest ethical standards.”

Weber’s remarks come as part of ongoing efforts by the state’s GOP to combat corruption and promote transparency in Illinois politics. According to WTTW News, Illinois Republicans are calling for more stringent ethics reforms in the state following recent corruption scandals involving red-light camera operators and Commonwealth Edison. They assert that current efforts to address the issue fall short of the necessary standards for accountability and transparency, emphasizing the need to restore public trust in government.

Democrats declined to speak with WTTW on ethics reform in face of the corruption charges.

The ethics reform drive comes as Madigan prepares to go to trial in April 2024. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, Madigan has been charged with 23 counts of public corruption in relation to the ComEd bribery scandal and a separate incident with AT&T. Madigan shaped public policy in the state as house speaker for 36 years. During that time the only legislation that made to the house floor for votes came directly through his office giving him extraordinary power. The 81-year-old Madigan was in power as House Speaker from 1983 to 1995 and then 1997 to 2021. He was an Illinois House member from 1971 to 2021 before stepping down amid scandal. Despite being under investigation, Madigan reportedly took part in the 2022 election campaign and is still holding onto to one elected position as 13th Ward Democratic committeeman, a position he has held since age 27. Madigan has transferred the last $10 million from his campaign budget to his defense fund.

The ethics drive also comes after four convictions in a massive bribery scheme enacted between ComEd, the state’s largest utility provider and Madigan, according to Prairie State Wire. A juror in the ComEd Four trial, Amanda Schnitker Sayers, stated that Madigan is responsible for the corruption that occurred. The convictions have fueled calls for ethics reform, as ComEd executives and lobbyists were found guilty of scheming to pay $1.3 million to Madigan-connected individuals and companies. Madigan controlled all bills brought to the floor for votes during his tenure as house speaker.

The ComEd Four are scheduled to be sentenced in January 2024.