Will County Gazette

Rep. Jed Davis (R-Yorkville) is calling for ethics reform in Illinois following the guilty verdict in the ComEd 4 bribery trial.

“There is no reason we can't pass sweeping ethics reform measures today,” Davis wrote in a May 15 Facebook post. “It's time for Democrats to stop dragging their feet on ethics and join us in stamping out corruption in Illinois.”

In his Facebook post, Davis shared a link to an Illinois Policy story focused on things legislators in Springfield could do to erase corruption in the state. This includes establishing a minimum one-year buffer between the time a lawmaker leaves office and becomes a lobbyist, broadening the scope of the Legislative Inspector General’s authority to investigate possible ethics violations, stopping lawmakers from lobbying local governments, and requiring lawmakers to declare conflicts of interest.

According to the Illinois Secretary of State, the conflict of interest rule “prohibits any public official from having any interest ‘in any contract or the performance of any work in the making or letting of which such officers may be called upon to act or vote’ [50 ILCS 105/3 et seq.]. This provision is not avoided by a board member abstaining from voting. If the said member has an interest in the outcome, then he or she is in violation of the statute. The statute also prohibits accepting or offering to receive money or anything of value as a gift, bribe, or means of influence. Board members may also not serve simultaneously in two governmental positions that are ‘incompatible.’ Board members may not accept or solicit bribes of tender, property, or personal advantage that influences the performance of the public officer’s duties. Board members who commit official misconduct, defined as knowingly performing an act forbidden by law or failure to perform mandatory duties, are subject to felony charges.”

The trial of the "Com Ed 4" included individuals connected to former House Speaker Michael Madigan, who was indicted in the same situation and faces trial next year. WGNTV reports two former ComEd executives, a former utility consultant and a longtime government insider were all found guilty of conspiring to bribe “Madigan — once one of the nation’s most powerful legislators — to ensure proposed bills boosting ComEd profits became law.”

Davis, who was raised in Lisbon, Illinois, has represented the 75th District since January. He attended Lisbon Grade School and Newark Community High School before earning a BS in Civil Engineering from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, according to his website.