Will County Gazette

In the wake of former House Speaker Mike Madigan's 22-count indictment, Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) is calling on Democrats to pass ethics reform legislation.

"Democrats in the General Assembly have failed to take action to end corruption in our state," Batinick posted on Facebook. "This inaction has allowed for decades of unethical behavior by elected officials, tarnishing Illinois' reputation and eroding public trust in state government. It's long past time for ethics reform. #EthicsAwarenessMonth." 

Madigan, who was considered one of the most powerful men in Illinois for decades, was indicted by the U.S. Attorney's Office on 22 counts of racketeering and bribery. According to a release from the Department of Justice, "The 22-count indictment accuses Madigan of leading for nearly a decade a criminal enterprise whose purpose was to enhance Madigan's political power and financial well-being while also generating income for his political allies and associates."

Madigan pled not guilty on March 9, the Chicago Sun Times reported. Madigan will appear in front of a U.S. district judge for a hearing on April 1.

The last Legislative Inspector General (LIG), Carol Pope, resigned in July, stating her office was "essentially a paper tiger," according to the Chicago Sun Times. Pope wrote in her resignation letter that when she accepted the position as LIG, she had hoped to be "able to make a difference working from the inside." Pope called out lawmakers for failing to pass effective ethics reform legislation and stated, "This last legislative session demonstrated true ethics reform is not a priority." The office of LIG had been vacant for more than 4 years when Pope took the job in 2018.

One proposed ethics reform bill, HB 5046, would prohibit state lawmakers from running again if they are convicted of a felony while in office. WTTW described HB 5046 as "currently stalled in Springfield."