Yesterday, jurors in the Mike Madigan federal corruption trial saw evidence of the former Speaker’s influence throughout state government.
The trial which began in October, was expected to last months and remains ongoing with testimony from state lawmakers, lobbyists, and former colleagues of the embattled Speaker, who is facing federal racketeering and bribery charges.
Over the last few months federal prosecutors have begun to lay out their case explaining what they refer to as “the Madigan Enterprise,” where the former speaker allegedly committed crimes for his personal gain and that of his political allies.
As the federal trial continues, House Republican lawmakers including House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, have remained steadfast in advocating for stronger ethics laws:
“We sound like a broken record with our continuous calls for ethics reform, but we will not stop until it is passed: we cannot continue to rely on federal prosecution to hold elected officials to a higher standard,” said McCombie.