Former Speaker Mike Madigan reported to federal prison today to serve 7.5 years in federal prison for bribery and racketeering charges. In response, House Minority Leader Tony McCombie released the following statement:
“Today marks another painful chapter in Illinois’ long and troubling history of public corruption. Each scandal chips away at the public’s trust and further erodes confidence in our state government.
“What’s most disappointing is the silence from so many in the majority party, lawmakers either unwilling to condemn this behavior or unwilling to take real action to prevent it from happening again. Their inaction speaks volumes.
“Illinois can’t afford to keep repeating this cycle of scandal and shame. Meaningful ethics reform could be passed tomorrow, if only Democratic leaders would find the courage to join us in restoring integrity and trust in state government.”