Will County Gazette

Jim Lanham, a Republican from Joliet, Illinois, called the recent conviction of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan a step toward breaking the state's longstanding culture of corruption. 

Lanham, who ran for the Illinois House of Representatives in District 86 but lost in the 2024 general election to incumbent State Rep. Lawrence Wash Jr. (D-Joliet), said the conviction could signal a change for Illinois politics.

Lanham, who has experienced what he described as "dirty special interests" in Illinois politics, pointed to his own race as an example.

"In my current race, I was kicked off the ballot because dirty Jan Quillman spent $2,000 to get four of us removed, plus whatever was spent on a lawyer who wasn’t even tied to a candidate but was paid by a ‘concerned citizen,’” he told the Will County Gazette.

He expressed hope that Madigan’s conviction will help break the state's cycle of corruption.

“Hopefully, this breaks the cycle of corruption in Illinois,” he said.

However, Lanham doubted that real change would come from the current Democratic supermajority in the state legislature.

"I doubt the Democrats, led by the tyrant Pritzker, will act and stop their gravy train," Lanham said.

On Feb. 12, Madigan, who served as Illinois House Speaker for 36 years, was convicted on 10 counts of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud in a case involving the state's largest utility, ComEd. 

The conviction revealed how Madigan used his political influence for personal gain. 

Despite this, a federal jury was unable to reach a consensus on 12 other charges, leading to a partial verdict.

Lanham’s comments reflect broader concerns about corruption in Illinois politics. For decades, Madigan's reign coincided with the state’s reputation for political corruption, with more than 2,100 corruption convictions from 1983 to 2023. 

Illinois continues to struggle with fiscal mismanagement and rising debt, much of it attributed to Madigan's control over the state's budget and pension systems.

Experts call for reforms, including limiting the influence of lawmakers-turned-lobbyists and enhancing financial transparency, in hopes of reversing the state's economic decline.

In 2024, Lanham, alongside John Sheridan of the Cunningham Neighborhood Council, helped secure approval for a $100,000 neighborhood park project near an apartment complex, which he dubbed the “Pedophile Palace,” aiming to force offenders to relocate, as sex offenders are prohibited from living near parks.

He criticized state lawmakers, including Walsh, State Rep. Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) and State Sen. Meg Cappel (D-Shorewood), for failing to take action on the issue, noting their lack of legislative proposals to address the problem.