Illinois politics is no stranger to corruption. Considering Illinois’ history, the past few years have brought an unfortunately unsurprising wave of scandal that shook public trust and exposed blatant abuses of power. From the Capitol Dome to Chicago City Hall, a multitude of indictments and convictions have made one thing clear: Illinois has an ethics problem, and the time for action is now.
On February 12, 2025, Michael J. Madigan, the longest-serving state House Speaker in American history and the most powerful politician in Illinois history, was convicted on ten felony counts. A jury of his peers found Madigan guilty on charges that ranged from conspiracy to bribery to wire fraud and stemmed from a decade-long scheme involving utility giant Commonwealth Edison. The former Speaker was implicated in a scheme to shake down the company for lobbying contracts and no-show jobs for Madigan’s political allies for legislation favorable to the company passing through the legislature.
Madigan’s convictions drew but a whimper from fellow Democrats in Illinois. We can only guess that it is because Illinois Democrats’ political machine is so entrenched, so insulated from accountability, that it believes it can operate with impunity under the status quo. Madigan’s fall from power was not an isolated event, but certainly the most dramatic in an embarrassing and corrupt era of Illinois governance.
Illinois House Republicans have been leading the charge to pass a bold anti-corruption agenda. To date, Democrats have largely ignored arrests, indictments, guilty verdicts, and the stain that each place on the public’s trust by ignoring a sweeping package of reforms proposed by key lawmakers.
As two more corruption sentences were handed down in the last few weeks, it is past time for action. Lawmakers must be serious about ethics reform and tighten up our state laws.